Sea Turtle Hospital Intern Carolyn Odenwelder

Topsail Island, NC Sea Turtle Hospital News

A sea turtle lullaby

Can you sing? That should be one of the questions on our summer internship application, because music really does soothe our not-so-savage patients. That's why intern Carolyn Odenwelder belts out the "Winnie the Pooh" song whenever our excitable little green, Carter, gets in one of his moods.

Carolyn actually began working with us in January of this year as part of the Saturday crew, composed mainly of UNC-W students. After graduating with her degree in Marine Biology (with minors in chemistry and the classics) she decided to take a year off before pursuing grad school and a career in endangered species management. But our patients had already worked their voodoo on her and she couldn't bear to leave them, so she applied for our 12-week program, hoping it would give her a "deeper experience."

A resident of Haverhill, MA, Carolyn worked at the New England Aquarium last summer where she had her first exposure to sea turtles. And "exposure" is what she mainly saw - turtles being brought to that facility for treatment were almost always victims of cold weather - what we call "cold-stuns." The general treatment for cold-stuns is to warm them up, maybe give them short term antibiotics and then set them free. Until she came here she thought that was about the most serious thing that could happen to a sea turtle. Now she remarks on the severity and variety of the wounds and illnesses we see, and how she went from being an observer to becoming a hands-on part of the treatment and recovery process.

Since Carolyn had already had several months experience at the hospital she wasn't surprised by the physical nature of the internship. For her, the opportunity to participate in the care and rehabilitation of these majestic animals far outweighs the blood, sweat and tears involved. She advises prospective interns to "go for it."

When she's not crooning to our patients you can find Carolyn reading, working at Long Island Pizza or visiting with friends in Wilmington. No matter where she is, she's not shy about singing out, "turtles are cool!"

Topsail Turtle Project

Our turtle mamas have been busy digging and laying since May. Now we're starting to see the fruits of their labors as nests begin hatching all over the island. August is a crossover month: moms are completing their nesting cycles for the year and their babies are "pipping" out and heading for the safety of the seaweed rafts far out in the Atlantic. So it's a good time to remind everyone of the importance of observing the following protocols.

• Fill those holes in the sand! This is common sense (and the law!) no matter what time of year it is. Hatchlings can be trapped in something as small as a footprint, so a hole is a death trap.
• Turn off all outside lights (e.g.; spotlights) if you are in the vicinity of a marked nest. It's also helpful if you draw the drapes or shades so that any inside lighting that might shine on the beach is minimized. Hatchlings head for the brightest thing they see, and we don't want that to be your porch.
• Don't shine flashlights on the hatchlings, or anywhere nearby. And absolutely no flash photography! These guys have just opened their eyes for the first time and anything that bright will daze and confuse them.

If you come across a group of very official-looking "turtle people" sitting a nest - lucky you! They may invite you to join them for this miracle. But remember, this is their delivery room, so what they say goes. You also may encounter several people sitting in the sand counting eggshells. That's our beach crew again. They perform a nest analysis about 72 hours after the main hatch, and surprisingly, the chances of them finding a straggler who slept through the wake-up call are pretty high.

Should you find a little lost hatchling on the beach (it happens) call us - immediately. Strong surf and currents often mean the little critter may have been battered around for a day or more before finally washing back to shore. Or you may have found a late-hatching straggler wandering the beach looking dazed and confused. In any case, a hatchling alone on the beach, especially in the daylight is a hatchling in big trouble, and a sure victim to dehydration and predation. Gently pick up the hatchling and place it in a small, open container or pail with some wet sand. Do not put it in a pail of deep water! In it's weakened condition it will most likely drown, or at the very least aspirate water and develop pneumonia. Cover the pail loosely with a cloth and keep the babe out of the sun, and out of air conditioning. Call Terry Meyer @ 910-470-2880, the Turtle Hospital @ 910-328-3377 or Jean Beasley @ 910-470-2800 for further instructions.

You can keep track of all the nesting and hatching activity on our website: www.seaturtlehospital.org. Again, our first-responder for all sea turtle activity (nestings, strandings, injured turtles or hatchings) is our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer @ 910-470-2880.

Last month to see our turtles

We close our doors to visitors at the end of this month. From day one the number of people touring our facility has averaged 450 each day, with several Thursday's having more than 600 visitors come through in the two hours we are open.

It's obvious from the crowds that we're a very unique operation. We take you behind the scenes and let you get as close as legally allowable to our turtles. There are only a handful of places in the world where you could come anywhere near replicating this privilege. We are able to continue our work and invite you in only because of the generous financial support of friends like you. We all (especially our turtles) thank you for your donations and gift shop purchases.

We open daily from 2-4 PM, except Wednesday and Sunday, through August. Our gift shop is also open during those hours. We occasionally close without notice for incoming turtles and dangerous weather conditions, but generally for only a short period of time. Please note that two incorrect phone numbers appear in various places in the "Coaster" magazine: the correct number for reporting turtle activity/strandings is: 910-470-2880. The correct number for the hospital is: 910-328-3377.

Last month for Turtle Talks

Lilmar is wrapping up a very successful summer of Turtle Talks, hosting record-breaking crowds. Her one-hour presentation, 3:45 - 4:45 PM, continues every Wednesday, through August. She's got plenty of visuals and handouts that are appropriate for ages K-adult. Cameras are welcome and there'll be plenty of great photo ops. The site is the Surf City Community Center, JH Batts Rd. (off Rt. 210 between Docksider and Gilligans.) Admission is free but donations for our turtles are appreciated. Please leave food and drinks in the car. For more information call the hospital at: 910-328-3377.

A flipper wave good-by

A fond farewell to one of our dear friends, Allan Libby, departing President of the Greater Topsail Chamber of Commerce. Allan has always been one of our biggest cheerleaders and a familiar face at all of our turtle hospital events. (Little known Libby lore: he's one of the hard-working chefs toiling in the kitchen during our annual lobster dinner fundraiser.) Allan, we wish you well, and you'll always have a place in the hearts of our volunteers and turtles.

Yard Sale just around the corner

We're gearing up for our Labor Day Weekend Yard Sale, finalizing the site plan and drop-off details. More information will be forthcoming.

Questions, comments or suggestions for stories
Contact me at: flippers@embarqmail.com.