Button has quite the personality.

We have sea turtles arrive at our Sea Turtle Healing Center for all kinds of medical reasons. While some just need a hydration and nutrition boost, others come in critical condition from human-related injuries. Button is one of our most recent intakes who, unfortunately, falls into the latter category.  

Button was discovered by East Coast Biologists while the group was conducting a study in Satellite Beach. This green sea turtle had severe damage to their carapace, or shell, likely caused by a boat strike. The patient presented with deep pockets between the fractured bone of the carapace and tissues of the body cavity.  

Our team got right to work when Button arrived at our hospital cleaning the fractured areas. The turtle had already begun to heal.  

 Sea Turtle Healing Center Coordinator Jess Patterson said, “We removed areas of dead bone and used our favorite topical treatment, honey!” 

Since being in our care, Button has been healing very well. However, if it wasn’t for Button’s perseverance through the rehabilitation process, it could have been much worse. 

Button’s injuries have been healing well.

“With the severity of the injuries, the outcome of this patient could have easily gone in the opposite direction, but they were turtle tough,” said Jess. “I think they came into our care at a pivotal time in their healing process.”   

While Button has only been in our care for a little while, our animal care team has already enjoyed this turtle’s personality. Button is an easygoing turtle but can be a bit of a ringleader when it comes to disturbing the peace, especially when they shared one of our large rehabilitation tanks with two other small juvenile green turtles.  

Button loves the PVC enrichment items in their tank and does not like to share. They always want what the other turtle is using.  

“If there is trouble being caused in their pool, we know Button started it,” joked Jess. 

Unfortunately, boat strike injuries are one of the more common reasons we see turtles come through our Healing Center doors. With boating being an extremely popular activity in local waterways, marine life has little refuge. 

If you want to prevent boat strikes from occurring with your own vessel, make sure you have a designated passenger watching out for animals, keep an eye on your speed and avoid boating over seagrass beds where hungry marine life may be foraging. You may also want to consider purchasing a propellor guard that will shield native flora and fauna from the dangerous machinery. It will also help protect your own boat from damage.  

Have you found a sea turtle that needs help? Visit this page or call the Sea Turtle Preservation Society at 321-206-0646. Want to help the Sea Turtle Healing Center? Support our Zoo, or view our Healing Center’s wishlist.