Fontina, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Pecorino and Romano have more than cheese in common. At the S.C. Aquarium, they’re also the names of five loggerhead turtles flown here to recover from being stunned by cold water in Massachusetts.
On Friday, aquarium staff unloaded the juvenile turtle patients after a special flight to deliver them to the aquarium’s Sea Turtle Care Center. Aquarium staffers checked their eyes, fluid levels and other vital signs as part of the recovery process after hundreds of sea turtles were stranded off of the coast of Cape Cod.
According to a press release, sea turtles typically migrate to warmer waters in the fall, but if they don’t leave before the temperature of sea water drops, they can suffer from hypothermia, also called cold-stunning. Facilities like the S.C. Aquarium often help when other rehabilitation facilities reach capacity.
“We are so proud to be a part of this extraordinary network of organizations that is working tirelessly to aid in the rehabilitation of sea turtles,” said Melissa Ranly, Sea Turtle Care Center manager at the S.C. Aquarium. “With loggerheads being the state reptile of South Carolina, it felt extra special to welcome them here to continue their rehabilitation journey.”
The turtles which weighed 14 pounds to 33 pounds, arrived Friday after a flight provided by Turtles Fly Too.
In November, the state Department of Natural Resources reported South Carolina had 6,628 sea turtle nests during the 2023 breeding season — a higher-than-average year. But Tropical Storm Idalia in late August caused a loss of about 600 nests. Other nests were lost due to high tides and predators like coyotes and armadillos.
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