Out of all the programs at the South Carolina Aquarium, the Sea Turtle Center may just be one of my favorites. When it was just starting out, the center was operating behind the scenes in a space that could only hold a limited number of turtles. It has been seventeen years since then, and although the original hospital is still functioning(now as an intensive care unit), most of the operations have been moved to the Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery Unit, which is open to the public on the first floor of the aquarium. This is what I got the privilege of seeing my last visit to Charleston and I have to say, it’s impressive.
When you first walk in, you see a good sized room with clear walls between the room and the tanks holding the turtles. It’s after 2:00 pm, and when I visit I’m drawn to the tank nearest to the database showing past patients. It houses a loggerhead sea turtle casually floating in the water. It seems to be shy of visitors so I only see shell and flippers. The name tag near the glass has a name tag that says JK Rowling. The Aquarium’s site posts updates and information about each turtle and I find she was bought in almost a year ago after she was found lethargic, anemic, and stranded on an island in South Carolina. Since then, she’s been recovering and seems to be improving each week. After briefly looking at other patients, it seems that she is not the only turtle that is doing a lot better under the organization’s care.
At the far side of the room is a one sided glass looking into one of the operation rooms. There’s definitely quite a bit to take in. On one of the tanks, there’s a sign noting how many patients they currently have at their center and how many have been released. That number is 279, which is no easy feat. 279 turtles have been- as the center’s motto is-rescued, rehabilitated, and then released. The hope is that these turtles will help repopulate once back in their homes.
That’s right: even with all the progress that has been made all seven species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered. Luckily we still have time to turn all of this around. Not all of us can take in sea turtles and take care of them like the Sea Turtle Center can, but we can help spread awareness and make small choices to keep our sea life safe. That includes using reusable bags and water bottles(and recycling when you forget to avoid landfills) and for beachfront owners to keep lights at night. For those who haven’t yet, I would recommend visiting the South Carolina Aquarium because it truly is a great place to learn more about our sea life and how to help them. Let’s KEAP our oceans safe!
-AK