March 2020 | Part 1

Swiss Adoption Update

Greetings! We hope you enjoy following the care of Swiss! Be sure to "Like" us on Facebook and Instagram for up-to-date news and events happening around the Center and Jekyll Island.  If you wish to update your email information, please reply to this message or send an email to  gstceducation@jekyllisland.com  using "Adopt-a-Sea Turtle" in the subject line.

Meet Swiss

Swiss was flown from New England to the Brunswick, GA airport on November 25, 2019. The pilot that flew the sea turtles to the Golden Isles was part of the volunteer organization "Turtles Fly Too."

Swiss stranded (washed ashore) in Cape Cod, Massachusetts on November 19, 2019, because he/she was cold-stunned (hypothermic). A volunteer from the Massachusetts Audubon Society found Swiss and transferred him/her to the New England Aquarium (NEAQ). Swiss was one of dozens of sea turtles stranding cold-stunned along Cape Cod Bay in November. After the NEAQ stabilized Swiss and some of the other turtles, they needed to transfer these patients to make room for new patients. On November 25, Swiss and 14 other cold-stunned patients were loaded into banana boxes and onto a private airplane for transport to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The pilot flying the plane was part of a volunteer organization called, "Turtles Fly Too." He donated his plane, jet fuel, and time to fly these sick turtles from New England to the Brunswick, GA airport. Georgia Sea Turtle Center staff and AmeriCorps members met the pilot at the airport around 4:30pm and picked up the 15 sea turtles.

Above: The cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles were transported in banana boxes, which can be stacked and have holes for air on the sides. Below: Each turtle was closely watched upon arrival to ensure they could swim, dive, and breathe well in their tanks.

After picking up the sea turtles from the airport, they were driven back to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Staff began the process of admitting 15 new patients at once. Each turtle had its own observer to ensure it could swim, dive, and breathe well. A quick triage of patients determined the eight sea turtles that would get their intake exams with our veterinarian that evening; the rest would receive their exams the following day. It did not take long for us to realize that Swiss was one of the most critical sea turtle patients now in our care. Because Swiss had a hard time lifting his/her head out of the water for breaths of air, he/she was placed in a separate white tub filled with very shallow water. It was clear that Swiss had more health issues than simply being cold. In your next adoption update you will learn what Swiss' intake exam revealed about his/her health!

Swiss was initially placed in a shallow tank upon arrival (shown here), but after close observation he/she was moved into a white tub with even less water.

Education Connection About Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles

The green-shaded area in the world map above shows where Kemp's ridley sea turtles can be found.

Swiss is a Kemp's ridley sea turtle, which is the smallest of the seven species of sea turtles across the world. Once Swiss reaches adulthood, he/she could weigh as much as 80-100 pounds and have a shell length up to 2 feet. This may seem like a big turtle, but the largest species of sea turtle - the leatherback - can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and be as long as 10 feet! As you can see from photos of Swiss, Kemp's ridleys have a carapace (top shell) that is grayish-green in color. Their plastron (bottom shell) is usually beige or pale yellow. Kemp's ridleys live in the Caribbean Sea and along the U.S. East Coast in the Atlantic Ocean. With such a limited range, we are lucky to see this species of sea turtle here in Georgia!

Please do not unsubscribe as this is the primary method of sharing the latest news about Swiss' progress & future release information when it becomes available.   Donations from the Adopt-a-Sea Turtle program support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center's mission of rehabilitation, education, & research. The timeline for a patient's stay is always dependent on the turtle's health & response to care and cannot be guaranteed. As there are many environmental factors and permissions to consider when scheduling turtle releases; we do our best to share information as timely (efficiently) as possible. Our staff do their best to consider not only the turtle's health, but also our supporters like you!

Thank you for your support! Sincerely, The GSTC Education Department Georgia Sea Turtle Center 214 Stable Road Jekyll Island, GA 31527