- April 18, 2024
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The gathered crowd cheered on Marineland's beach as Micklers was released back into his natural habitat. Photos by Anastasia Pagello
Left to Right: Nancy Condron, Jessica Long, Catherine Eastman, Dr. Brooke Burkhalter, Dr. Mark Marindale, Peggy Cook and Kacie Burkhalter.
Dr. Brooke Burkhalter shows Micklers to Ocean Ghirardi and Talula Aguilera-Welch.
Dr. Brooke Burkhalter makes her way into the Atlantic Ocean with Micklers, to see him/her off on its journey back to the sea.
Sea Turtle Hospital at Whitney Laboratory, which opened in late October of 2015, has successfully rehabilitated and released its first patient back to the ocean on Thursday, January 21. The juvenile green sea turtle was one of thirteen sea turtles being treated at the hospital. Affectionately named Micklers, Crescent Beach resident, Peggy Cook, found the animal on Monday, Dec. 21, 2015.
“It is incredible to see the progress Micklers has undergone since the day I found him struggling on the beach,” said Cook. “When I first came upon it, the sea turtle appeared to be dead, but once I got closer he/she feebly raised his head.” Cooks immediately called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Center to report the sickly turtle.
“Once a sick or injured animal is found, it is always best to call the FWCC number first before fully approaching,” said Catherine Eastman, director of Whitney Lab’s Sea Turtle Hospital. “Once you get someone on the phone, they will then direct you on the best course of action. Under normal circumstances, the worst thing you can do is try and push the stranded animal back into the water.”
Once Micklers was taken to the Sea Turtle Hospital, the veterinaries discovered it was suffering from low blood glucose, cold stunning and air trapped in its gastrointestinal tract.
“It is incredible to see the progress Micklers has undergone since the day I found him struggling on the beach.” Peggy Cook, Crescent Beach resident
“When animals that are naturally ectotherms, such as sea turtles, get caught in severely cold water, they can suffer from what is called cold stunning,” explained Dr. Mark Martindale, Director of Whitney Laboratory. “Animals who are ectotherms are dependent on external sources of body heat, such as warmer water.”
Micklers spent one month in the veterinaries care, and made a full recovery. Community members gathered on Marineland’s beach, across the street from Whitney Lab, to bid Micklers goodbye as he/she was released back into its natural habitat.
“The sea turtle hospital, and similar facilities, are so important to this endangered species continued survival,” said Eastman. “Not only are we saving each of these individual animals’ lives, but through the process of helping them we are also doing research. Having them in our care gives us a unique opportunity to collect significant data in which we can further help the species.”
A microchip was placed in Micklers flipper before being released back into the ocean. If he/she is ever found stranded again, the microchip will give an indicator of how much progress the sea turtle has undergone since it was last beached. This information is extremely important to researches, since many aspects of a sea turtles life still remain a mystery.
Visit whitney.ufl.edu/education-conservation/sea-turtle-hospital for more information.
