The latest 12 turtles that came in last night have all received their second baths and vet exams and are now awaiting the move to the green zone. Our rehabilitation facility is separated into three zones: red, yellow and green. When the animals first arrive they enter the red zone. Here they are given an initial assessment, first oil removal bath, and veterinary treatment. They then move to the yellow zone. The yellow zone is used for observation and holding until the animals receive their second bath and second round of treatments from staff. Once an ‘all clear’ is given by the veterinarian staff, the animals then can move to the green zone. Now, don’t be mistaken by an ‘all clear’ status. This simply means they are no longer highly contaminated by oil. In the green zone they will still undergo rounds of medical treatment that include antibiotics, blood draws, fecal samples and much more observation.

 

Here is the breakdown of sea turtles currently in our care:

~39 Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles

~4 non-oiled Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles

~2 Green sea turtles

~2 Hawksbill sea turtles

~2 Loggerhead sea turtles

 

In my next post, I am going to talk about the non-oiled sea turtles in our care because I know they might be raising some eyebrows amongst some of you.

 

To learn more about how you can help, please visit our oil spill resource page. It contains a wealth of information, everything from adopting animals to numbers to call to all about LMMSTRP.

 

What will tomorrow hold? We never know but we are ready for anything and everything. Until then:

 

"For in the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught."~Baba Dioum