A 100-plus-pound green sea turtle now named Baby Myrtle is getting specialized care after boaters spotted her floating in the Florida Keys and called for help.
After receiving the report, The Turtle Hospital alerted U.S. Coast Guard Station Key West, and a crew quickly reached the distressed turtle. They brought her aboard a rescue boat, carried her to the dock, and helped transport her to the hospital.
Coast Guard Members Carry Baby Myrtle Ashore (Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard Southeast)
There, X-rays and a CT scan revealed why Baby Myrtle could not dive. She had a pneumothorax, which meant air had collected inside her body and was keeping her at the surface.
The veterinary team removed the trapped air with a lung tap and gave Baby Myrtle antibiotics, fluids, and vitamins. Staff then provided her with a blood patch, which is intended to seal a suspected tear in Baby Myrtle’s lung and give it time to heal.
Following the blood patch and another round of X-rays, Baby Myrtle returned to the water in her hospital tank. The hospital’s recent update said staff were watching to see whether her buoyancy returned to normal.
Lady Freethinker thanks everyone who helped bring Baby Myrtle to safety so quickly and is hopeful that, with continued care, she will one day return to the ocean.
Baby Myrtle’s story is a good reminder that if you see a sick, injured, entangled, or distressed sea turtle in Florida, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) so that trained responders can provide necessary help.
