Almost 100 juvenile sea turtles rescued from the BP oil spill are recovering well in the primary sea turtle rehab facility, the Audubon Nature Institute's New Orleans Rehab center. Most are housed in small, black tubs and fed daily by caring workers that take detailed notes on their condition. Medical care is provided to all the oiled and rescued sea turtles, and the staff at Audubon Institute is happy to report that over 95% of the oiled sea turtles brought to them have been treated for exposure and are still alive.
The majority of sea turtles in care are less than 3 years old and Kemp's ridleys. Only one immature hawksbill has been recovered, several larger and immature green sea turtles, and less than a dozen immature loggerheads, like the one above.
The behavior of Kemp's ridley, loggerhead, and hawksbill sea turtles does not allow them to safely share a single container. Only the green sea turtles are docile enough to share space, like these two young green sea turtles above.
Sea Turtle Restoration Project's Chris Pincetich and Dr. Wallace J Nichols joined the Ocean Future's team featuring Jean-Michel and Fabian Cousteau for interviews with Audubon Institute Staff about the rescued sea turtles. Jean-Michel Cousteau was very concerned to learn that the rehab center had much more room to care for oiled sea turtles, but current rescue efforts on boats are not meeting this need.
Posted in Blog
Comments Comments are now closed for this item. Comment by m levine, Jul 16th, 2010 4:05pm
How do we get more cooperation and interest from the boats? The work that is being done is so wonderful! Thanks for heading it up...
Comment by Amber Humphreys, Jul 16th, 2010 2:59pm
These guys are doing a fantastic job at trying to save the lives of the rare Kemps and other turtles who were caught up in this madness. Does nobody think that burning the oil is just about the dumbest thing since Bush was in office.? Whoever came up with this idiotic idea should be dumped in the oily water.. We already have terrible pollution of the sea. "Oh yes let's set fire to it and pollute our atmosphere even more.".
| 
