Turtle Information
Name:	Swan II
Age:	Juvenile
Species:	Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)
Diagnosis:	Thin and lethargic
Guest Since:
Release Date:	Unknown
Comments:	Swan is a "local," rescued at the Swan Point Marina in Sneads Ferry. The turtle was observed hanging out, repeatedly surfacing around the boat slips for several days. She was in obvious distress and growing increasingly weaker. Several unsuccessful attempts were made to rescue her until concerned residents, under the guidance of our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer, created a sling from a tarp and ropes. The turtle was so weak that she willingly floated onto the tarp and was safely lifted from the water. Initially place in fresh water, Swan was given antibiotics and coaxed to eat. Once she regained some strength and her taste for food she also gained 25 pounds. She just missed being released in June because her blood work was not up to par. She's a probable September release.

TURTLE TALKS, sponsored by the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation Center, (aka The Sea Turtle Hospital), will begin on Wednesday, May 28th and continue every Wednesday through Labor Day.

This popular 1-hour presentation (3:45 – 4:45 PM) is fun for ages K-adult, with lots of hands-on opportunities, visuals and handouts. Bring your cameras for some cool photo ops, but please leave food and drinks at home.

Program is at the Surf City Community Center, JH Batts Rd. (off Rt. 210, between Docksider and Gilligan’s.) Free, but your donations for our turtles are gratefully accepted.

Info: 910-328-3377.

Notice: Jean Beasley, Director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rehabilitation and Rescue, is the winner of Animal Planet's Hero of the Year!  Congratulations Jean!!  Click HERE for the official announcement.

For those of you that have been wondering what our celebrity "Bay" is up to, click HERE to go to the Minnesota Zoo's cam!  She's in her new home at the zoo! You must have Real Player in order to see the picture and there is a link to that device under the web cam.

Sea Turtle Activity: Report any nestings, strandings (dead or alive) and hatchings to Terry Meyer @ 910-470-2880.

Our sea turtles need your help!  Click here to donate to the Sea Turtle Hospital! 

For additional information on Bay's flight to the zoo, click here.

Endangered sea turtles don’t normally stay at the facility forever; sometimes it could be a matter of days before they are better but, more often, years before they reach their peek potential and are considered normal again.

The mission of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital is to heal the creatures and place them back into their natural state, living in the ocean. The staff does not focus their treatment to make them dependent upon human hands for food or survival. Their goal is to return them to the sea.

This is something that is very important to Jean Beasley, Director, and the entire volunteer staff at the hospital.

To date, the sea turtle hospital has cared for over 150 injured or sick sea turtles. The staff and volunteers at this facility work very hard for each and every one, dedicating their time and giving only the best care to all.

Each and every patient has their own personality and a special place in the hearts of these volunteers. If you would like to know more about the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital, please check out our site or go to www.seaturtlehospital.org.

Especially in the morning, the water may appear a little cloudy but please check back a little later. Volunteers come in every day about 8:00 am EST to clean the tanks so that the water will be clearer for everyone to see. If you watch closely, sometimes you can catch their reflection and see them chasing the turtles around in the tanks. This is the "turtle aerobics" and it's very beneficial for them. 

If it is nighttime, (we're on EST here), it is dark because the turtles are sleeping.  Shhhhh!

Stay tuned for lots more things to see at the sea turtle hospital! Thanks to our sponsor, Topsail Island's "turtle guy" Charles Turner of Everyday Dreamers on Highway 50 in Surf City, you are able to see these beautiful creatures live all day long.

If you would like to be a sponsor on the turtle page, please contact us at sales@topsailpublishing.com or call Topsail Publishing, Inc.at 910-328-5638.