| 18 July 2009
Before removing the pink line, which had scraped skin from the turtle's face, Mote staff used x-rays to verify that the turtle had not swallowed a fishing hook. Instead, they found remnants of a balloon.
A rare turtle hospitalized after swallowing trash illustrates the weight our 'disposables' are placing on our world.
An endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) has been brought to Mote Marine Laboratory's Sea Turtle Hospital after it swallowed a balloon - an episode that underscores the importance of recycling or disposing of trash carefully.
The 3.3-pound young turtle with a carapace 8.7 inches long washed up on a sandbar near the south end of Lido Key on Tuesday, July 14, with a pink line hanging from its mouth.
Concerned swimmers called Mote biologists, who brought the Kemp's ridley to Mote's Sea Turtle Hospital.
Swallowing trash can injure or kill sea turtles, all of which are considered endangered or threatened under federal law. Kemp's ridleys, among the smallest and the rarest of the world's seven sea turtle species, have visited Sarasota County only a handful of times to nest, but Mote's Sea turtle hospital has rehabilitated dozens because of illness, disorientation and other problems.
"Balloons can look like jellyfish or squid - things sea turtles like to eat," said Senior Biologist Kristen Mazzarella of Mote's Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program. "It's extremely common to find sea turtles that have swallowed balloons, fishing hooks, monofilament lines and other dangerous objects."
Mote's new Kemp's ridley patient, nicknamed Anakin, is receiving fluids, antibiotics and food at the Sea Turtle Hospital. The turtle, which arrived anemic and dehydrated, is being closely monitored for any additional health problems. It will be released into wild if appropriate.
Anakin is Mote's first turtle with a bellyful of balloon, but perhaps not the last.
"We pick up a lot of balloons wrapped in seaweed from local beaches," said Mazzarella of Mote's Sea Turtle Patrol - a team of staff, interns and volunteers who monitor sea turtle nesting every day on 35 miles of Sarasota county beaches during nesting season, May through October.
"To protect sea turtles and other wildlife, we recommend that people dispose of trash in the appropriate containers and recycle it when possible," Mazzarella said. "If you see trash washing up on the beach, pick it up before the tide takes it back out to sea."
Reporting
If you see a stranded or dead sea turtle, dolphin or whale within Sarasota or Manatee County waters, please call Mote's Stranding Investigations Program, a 24-hour response service, at 941-988-0212.
If you see a stranded or dead manatee anywhere in state waters or a stranded or dead dolphin, whale or sea turtle outside of Sarasota or Manatee counties please call the FWC Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
Report Violations
Participate in International Ocean Cleanup Day September 19, 2009
Last year, nearly 400,000 volunteers collected more than 6.8 million pounds of trash in 104 countries and 42 U.S. states during the 2008 International Coastal Cleanup - the world's largest volunteer effort of its kind.
Registration for the event will open August 3, 2009
link to video International OceanCleanUp Day
