Sea Turtle Healing Center manager Shanon Gann uses the portable generator to take an X-ray of Capocollo.

Since its inception in 2014, our Sea Turtle Healing Center has nurtured hundreds of sea turtle patients back to health with the goal of returning them to their ocean home.  

Each time a sea turtle comes through the doors of our L3Harris Animal Care Center, our dedicated veterinary staff takes ultrasounds and radiographs—or X-rays—of the turtle. These diagnostics help our team navigate the patient’s condition and determine the next steps in treating any injuries or illnesses.  

Thanks to a generous $21,732 grant from the Sea Turtle Conservancy, our Healing Center has been able to purchase two brand-new radiology generators! Ideally, the new stationary generator will free our staff’s hands to position squirmy patients for x-rays, and the portable generator will let our staff conveniently work around the needs of our turtles.  

“The mobility [of the portable generator] will allow us to use it with larger turtles that a standing fixed generator would not allow,” said Sea Turtle Healing Center coordinator Jess Patterson. “We will also be able to use it outside, so we do not have to move fragile or sensitive turtles in and out of the hospital to gather these crucial diagnostics.” 

Though we’ve only started to use the new machines, they are already a huge help to our team! 

Capocollo is a green sea turtle who has been in our care since February because of a whole assortment of ailments from bone infections to pneumonia, Jess said.  

Because our team takes frequent X-rays tomonitor their condition, our new machines certainly come in handy! It’s our hope that we are in the final weeks of Cappy’s treatment before their release. 

Capocollo came into our care with only one rear flipper, but this shouldn’t inhibit their ability to swim.

These X-ray machines allow our team to “collimate” or isolate a turtle’s body part to focus on a specific area; This allows us to pinpoint exactly what we’re looking for. 

Spooky is another green sea turtle who is on their way to a quick recovery! The juvenile turtle came to us in October with fibropapillomatosis (FP), a harmful illness that creates internal and external tumors.  

The portable generator allows Shanon to meet Spooky at their tank to take images.

Fortunately, we were able to quickly remove the single tumor that Spooky had upon arriving at our Healing Center. We also administered a round of medication to address some gastrointestinal issues. We hope to get Spooky home as soon as they heal! 

Because of the help from the Sea Turtle Conservancy and the ease of these new generators, we’re one step closer to returning these turtles back to the ocean! 

This project was funded in whole by a grant awarded from the Sea Turtle Grants Program. The Sea Turtle Grants Program is funded from proceeds from the sale of the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate. Learn more at www.helpingseaturtles.org. 

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.