Rare turtle caught off Edisto

1-year-old Kemp's ridley survives surgery to remove steel fishhook

The S.C. Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital took in a rare endangered species Thursday after a fisherman accidently caught it off Edisto Island.

The 1-year-old Kemp's ridley sea turtle underwent surgery about noon to remove a 2 1/2-inch stainless steel fishhook.

The turtle should recover quickly and only suffered a small tear to the esophagus, said Dr. Jose Biascoechea, who operated on the turtle, dubbed "Little Edisto."

"It was tedious and technical just because she's small, only about 1 1/2 kilograms. We didn't have a lot of space to work with. But at least we didn't have to cut into the plastron (bottom shell) surgically to remove it," he said.

Aquarium officials said they plan to keep Little Edisto for three weeks to allow the turtle recover from the surgery and to monitor it for infection. Then they plan to release it into deep water.

Kemp's ridleys usually live along the Gulf Coast and nest almost exclusively in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, just south of the U.S.-Mexican border. However, some occasionally can be found as far north as New England. Last year, 17 out of the 90 turtles found stranded in South Carolina were Kemp's ridley.

Shannon Teders, an aquarist who works with the Sea Turtle Rescue Program, said it was rare to find one so young.

"We get them nesting around here once in a while, but definitely one this size (this small) has never been seen before on our coast," she said.

The turtle made the endangered species list in 1970, and at its lowest point only 740 nests were found in 1985. Thanks to conservation efforts in Mexico and the U.S., however, by 2003 that number swelled to 7,000. The number of Kemp's ridleys still are far below their original levels, though. One video in 1947 showed 42,000 turtles nesting all at once in Mexico.

Adult Kemp's ridleys are the smallest sea turtles, weighing just 80 to 120 pounds and measuring about 26 to 30 inches long. They reach maturity more quickly than other turtles and start nesting between ages 7 to 15. They are the only turtles to nest during the day, and usually they nest every year instead of every three years or so like the more common loggerhead.

Because so many people have asked to see the sea turtles, in two weeks the Aquarium will start limited tours, two days a week, of the Sea Turtle Hospital.

Reach Lucia Walinchus at 937-5921 or at lwalinchus@postandcourier.com.