On Sunday evening, the Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol received a call for a sea turtle stranding near boardwalk 8. Joshua Shilko responded and found that an angler had caught a juvenile Kemp's Ridley sea turtle - the most endangered of the 7 extant sea turtle species. This is the third Kemp's Ridley caught by a fisherman from our shores this year, and we are grateful that a beachgoer contacted us and that the angler kept the turtle comfortable until we could respond. We were not able to remove the hook on the beach, so the turtle was transported to the Sea Turtle Care Center at the SC Aquarium for care. The folks that caught the turtle asked if we would mind calling it “Christy” to honor someone special to them, so we will call it Christy, but at the aquarium you will find our turtle referred to as “Pyrite!” The doctor noted that it is one of the smallest turtles they have had in their care (1.29kg; about 22 cm curved carapace length). The hook was removed today, pain medication is being administered, and they are treating our turtle for mild metabolic acidosis. At this point we don't have information on how long it will be at the aquarium or if it will be in a visible tank, but send some good vibes to Pyrite aka Christy and we'll share more info as we get it!
For more information on what to do if you catch a sea turtle while fishing, please see our article on the topic:
https://www.siturtlepatrol.com/news/2021/5/16/sea-turtles-amp-fishing-bycatch
Activities depicted are authorized conservation activities by licensed individuals under DNR permit #MTP541. All sea turtle species are classified as endangered or threatened and are protected under the Endangered Species Act in addition to local and state ordinances.