Lance Adams, DVM, and members of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., prepare a rescued sea turtle before release. Photo courtesy Aquarium of the Pacific Sea turtles have existed for more than 110 million years with little change, making them among the oldest creatures on the planet. However, life for sea turtles today can be difficult—even deadly—as they face various natural and man-made dangers. A dedicated group of veterinarians, biologists, and other specialists from sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation organizations around the country comes to their aid. Almost every state with an ocean shoreline has at least one such group, and they work together to advance sea turtle medicine and maintain growing sea turtle populations. A variety of sea turtles call the waters off the U.S. home, including leatherbacks, greens, hawksbills, loggerheads, olive ridleys, and Kemp’s ridleys. Leatherback sea turtles are the largest species, averaging between 600 and 800 lbs. at maturity. All species of sea turtles are threatened, and some, such as the leatherback sea turtles, are endangered. Many are making a slow comeback, but challenges to their ongoing survival remain. One of the most common medical issues seen among sea turtle rehabilitation experts is a phenomenon known as cold-stunning, which commonly occurs when sea turtles find themselves in water colder than 50 F. In such conditions, sea turtles become lethargic, cannot eat or swim, and float on the surface, exposing them to various hazards. If they are left cold-stunned for too long, they will die. “Sea turtles are ectotherms, meaning their body temperature is dependent on the temperature of the water they are in,” says Melissa Joblon, DVM, DACZM, director of animal health at The New England Aquarium in Boston, Mass., which has a sea turtle hospital in nearby Quincy. Rescued green sea turtle, Aphrodite, is examined at the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital. Photo courtesy Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium A New England Aquarium staff member marks the stranding number for green sea turtle, Aphrodite. Photo courtesy Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium “When the water temperature drops below 50 degrees, they become weak and lethargic and often float on the surface until they wash up on shore. We work with Mass Audubon, which is permitted to collect cold-stunned turtles on Cape Cod beaches and bring them to us in Quincy for treatment.” The most common issues seen among cold-stunned turtles upon admission are dehydration, electrolyte abnormalities, and pneumonia, according to Dr. Joblon. “Glucose and acid-base derangements are also common,” she says, “along with sepsis and osteomyelitis, associated with bacterial or fungal infections secondary to the cold-stun process.” Fibropapillomatosis, a neoplastic disease caused by a herpes virus, is also a growing problem, especially among green sea turtles, says Dr. Terry Norton, DVM, DACZM, lead veterinarian at The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Fla. With fibropapillomatosis, tumors can cover the entire body and are usually removed via laser. “We also use CT scans, laparoscopy, and sometimes ultrasound to rule out internal tumors, which can be part of the condition,” Norton adds. Sea turtles are also at risk of attacks by sharks and other predators, resulting in injuries that may require a flipper amputation. Luckily, shark attacks are relatively rare, numbering around one percent of cases, says Craig Harms, DVM, DACZM, a professor of aquatic animal medicine at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh and head veterinarian at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (KBSTRRC) in Surf City, N.C. Craig Harms, DVM, DACZM, (in green), zoological medicine resident Nick Dannemiller, DVM, DACZM (in dark blue to the right), and veterinary students doing a beak trim on a sedated non-releasable loggerhead sea turtle, “Snooki,” during its annual physical exam. This conservation work for protected sea turtles at the KBSTRRC is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 25ST05. Photo courtesy Terry Meyer Equally interesting are stingray attacks in which the barb becomes lodged deep in a turtle’s body, according to Dr. Harms. “This often happens when a stingray is just lashing out in a net with a sea turtle,” he says. “The barbs show up on radiographs, fortunately, but those injuries bleed a lot. Turtles usually do well once the barb is removed.” More frequently, turtles are injured from human activities. A boat’s propeller, for example, can crack or cut through a turtle’s carapace or extremities. At the same time, encounters with fishing nets, lines, and hooks can cause deadly entanglement injuries or drownings. Another common human-related injury is stomach and intestinal blockage caused by ingesting foreign materials, such as plastic bags. It is not uncommon for rescuers to find a turtle’s digestive tract filled with such litter, which looks like undulating jellies to a passing turtle. “One of the most interesting—and sad—cases that we treated was a turtle that had ingested a balloon that had passed through the entire GI tract. The animal arrived with the ribbon hanging out of its mouth and the balloon hanging out of its hind end,” says Joblon (Figure 1A). “We cut the loose ends, stabilized the animal, then took it to surgery, where we were able to remove the rest of the balloon via enterotomy. Luckily, the turtle started eating shortly after, and we were able to release it back to the wild.” (Figure 1B). Figures 1A and 1B. A turtle was brought in the hospital of the New England Aquarium in Boston, Mass., after ingesting a balloon. The object had passed through the animal's entire GI tract, with only its ribbon hanging out from the turtle's mouth. Veterinarians performed an enterotomy to remove the balloon. Photos courtesy Dr. Melissa Joblon Understandably, turtles can be challenging patients to treat, regardless of the issue. Their shells are extremely strong, which makes examining their internal organs particularly difficult. “We have to be pretty innovative on how we do that,” says Lance Adams, DVM, director of veterinary services at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif. “We have to use radiography, CT scans, ultrasound, and laparoscopy to see inside these bodies that are otherwise impervious to examination.” Accessing internal organs through a turtle’s shell is not always an option. According to Joblon, veterinarians often go in through a tiny area on the turtle’s body called the prefemoral fossa, which allows the use of laparoscopy. “It’s a very small space, so that can be tricky,” says Joblon. Sea turtles are remarkably resilient and usually heal well but do so slowly due to their metabolism. Some of the most intriguing cases Harms has worked on involved sea turtles with skull fractures in which the brain was exposed to seawater. A rescued loggerhead sea turtle named Boreas receives IV fluidsat the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital. Photo courtesy Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium “Many don’t make it because they develop brain abscesses, but some of them actually pull through,” Harms says. “We gently irrigate the abscesses with sterile saline and use anti-inflammatory drugs to ease inflammation and get them feeding again. As they heal, they form a protective layer of fiber pretty quickly, which helps protect the tissues.” The sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation organizations around the U.S. are all on the same difficult mission and routinely share medical information via conferences and journal articles. In 2002, for example, The Journal of the American Veterinary Association published a study on understanding of anesthetic protocols for injured loggerhead sea turtles.1 Additionally, the book Sea Turtle Health and Rehabilitation, which offers a comprehensive guide in sea turtle husbandry, health, medicine, and surgery, is also a recommended reference by Norton, who, along with Craig Harms and others, contributed chapters.2 Biologists and volunteers at the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital care for dozens of turtle patients. This was the team at the facility in February 2025. Photo courtesy Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium Caring for injured sea turtles is a difficult, physically demanding work on animals that routinely show their displeasure at being handled with a painful flipper slap. It is a calling that is not for everyone, but those who work with sea turtles find them fascinating. “I really enjoy working with sea turtles because they’re resilient animals and they generally respond and get better,” says Adams. “Once they’re healthy, I love watching them swim off, though it’s a bit anticlimactic because they usually dive and they’re gone.” For Joblon, it is the challenge of treating sea turtles and advancing care that helps not only the individuals who come into her facility but also the general sea turtle population. Rehabilitating green sea turtle, Cassandra, prepares to feed on a piece of herring at the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital. Photo courtesy Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium “I love the fact that our work is aimed toward conserving these animals,” she says. “As veterinarians, we not only play a big role in caring for sea turtles from a rescue and medical perspective, but also in promoting public education and advocacy. It’s important for people to understand the threats these animals are facing, and vets are uniquely positioned to tell that story.” Don Vaughan is an award-winning writer who frequently writes about veterinary-related topics. References Medetomidine, ketamine, and sevoflurane for anesthesia of injured loggerhead sea turtles: 13 cases (1996-2000) by Elizabeth J. Chittick, et al. JAVMA, Vol 221, No. 7, October 1, 2002. Sea Turtle Health & Rehabilitation. Edited by Charles A. Manire, Terry M. Norton, Brian A. Stacy, Charles J. Innis, and Craig A. J. Ross Publishing. July 2017
