The Mississippi Aquarium is currently providing medical care to a severely injured loggerhead sea turtle.
In a Facebook post, the aquarium explained that the turtle had been caught on a fishing line at the Gulf State Park Fishing Pier in Gulf Shores, Alabama. After managing to escape the line, rescuers re-caught her and brought her to the pier.
It was immediately apparent that the turtle had multiple hooks stuck in her flippers, shell, and mouth, a fractured shell, as well as barnacles stuck all over her body. Due to the size of the turtle, the Mississippi Aquarium was the only facility in Mississippi, Alabama, or Louisiana capable of taking care of the turtle.
“Lyndsey Howell, NOAA’s Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network State Coordinator for Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, called Mississippi Aquarium for help as no other rehabilitation centers in the area were able to handle a turtle of her size,” Mississippi Aquarium Vice President of Veterinary Services Alex Delaune said. “The aquarium’s veterinary team drove to Gulf Shores to meet the rescuers and pick up the injured turtle to bring her back to our clinic for evaluation.”
The initial evaluation revealed underlying illnesses. According to Dr. Sean Perry, the turtle “will require very long-term, intensive care and many procedures to address her medical issues.”
It’s been a busy year for the Mississippi Aquarium in terms of sea turtles as they have already released several rounds of rehabilitated Kemp’s ridley sea turtles back into the wild.
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