Tremé and Margeaux

Audubon is caring for two juvenile Green Sea Turtles discovered separately by fishermen in southeast Louisiana last December. Both animals were found in a state of cold-shock, in which a turtle's system essentially shuts down in response to a frigid environment.

The first turtle, discovered in the Intracoastal Waterway, is less than a year old. Named Tremé for the tremors she exhibited during her recovery, she is eating on her own and doing well (pictured above). The second turtle is Margeaux, so named because of her discovery in "Geaux Pass". She is older than Tremé and her condition was more severe but Audubon staff has nursed her back to health.

Cold-shocked turtles are near-comatose and often mistaken for dead. Margeaux was so listless, for so long, that two inches of algae had accumulated on her shell. The anglers who found Tremé and Margeaux smartly assessed the situation and brought the turtles to Audubon for treatment, saving their lives. Tremé is now in the Aquarium's Flower Garden Banks exhibit and Margeaux will soon be there as well. Once they have made a full recovery—and the weather warms up—the pair will be returned to the wild.

Lagniappe

Lagniappe with her satellite tracking tag.

Lagniappe is released back into the wild.

Lagniappe, an adult female Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, was found in a borrow pit pond in Southern Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. She is believed to have been trapped in the pond since Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Lagniappe was rescued on March 11, 2009 by the Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program along with the valuable help of other partner organizations such as The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

Once rescued from her pit pond, Lagniappe was transported to the Audubon Aquatic Center to assess her medical needs. With a clean bill of health Lagniappe was outfitted with a satellite tag and released 21 miles off the coast of Grand Isle, Louisiana on October 14, 2009.

Lagniappe's happy ending is also a conservation success because she is an endangered species and also the first rehabilitated turtle to be tagged and monitored since 2005. Countless stranded sea turtles are found along the Louisiana coastline, especially Kemp’s Ridley. By tagging Lagniappe, Audubon hopes to gain valuable data that would enable us to understand more about this endangered sea turtle species.

The Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program is a volunteer organization based out of Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. The program is committed to the humane care and treatment of injured, ill or out-of-habit marine mammals (such as manatees) and sea turtles.

Track Lagniappe the sea turtle and watch where she goes!