On July 19, a loggerhead sea turtle was seen swimming “erratically” seven miles south of Sugarloaf Key, Florida, her flippers flapping wildly as she struggled to keep her head above water.
After boaters spotted her, they called the U.S. Coast Guard and stayed near her side until help could arrive.
She was soon taken to The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida, where she was dubbed “Timmy.”
“Timmy is a female loggerhead sea turtle, estimated to be 70–80 years old and weighing in at an incredible 270 pounds,” The animal hospital shared in a Facebook post.
“She’s now undergoing a full diagnostic workup at The Turtle Hospital,” the post continued. “We’ll be running a complete blood chemistry evaluation once her samples are processed by the university lab, which will help us better understand what she’s facing. Right now, we’re still searching for answers.”
Timmy currently awaits diagnostic testing to see what hindered her on the open water of the Florida Keys, with the staff citing “neurological concerns.”
“Trauma is probably the most common thing, and you can get blunt force trauma where you wouldn't necessarily see some external wounds, but most of the time, you’ll see some kind of evidence [like] a boat strike,” Dr. Terry Norton, the lead veterinarian for the Turtle Hospital, said in a video update.
Norton explained that when a sea turtle is exhibiting distress like Timmy, it could be signs of fracture or bacterial infections, like encephalitis or septicemia.
“The U.S. Coast Guard helped the recreational boaters that found her get her onto the boat,” said Bette Zirkelbach, the manager at The Turtle Hospital. “It was no easy task. She wreaked havoc in the back of the Turtle Hospital ambulance on the way here to the hospital.”
Zirkelbach also added that getting X-rays for Timmy also took a great deal of “teamwork.”
“We don't know what’s wrong with her,” she said. “I know it’s frustrating to hear that, but it’s frustrating for us as well, but we're doing a lot of diagnostics to try to figure out why she was struggling at the [ocean’s] surface.”
Fortunately, once she was able to rest in a shallow pool, Timmy’s panic seemed to subside.
“Timmy did great today!” The Turtle Hospital posted on July 21. “She happily ate everything we offered her — including squid, mackerel, shrimp, and lobster tail. This girl was HUNGRY!”
Like all of the sea turtles that come through The Turtle Hospital, the ultimate goal is to return Timmy to the ocean if she receives a clean bill of health from the veterinary staff.
It’s been a busy summer for the rescue and rehabilitation center. On July 17, they released a green sea turtle named Flynn, who had been covered tip-to-tail in tumors when he was first rescued.
“Flynn didn’t hesitate — he was feeling feisty and more than ready to get back out there!” the hospital shared on social media.
“Watching him swim back into the ocean after overcoming cold stunning, severe anemia, fibropapillomatosis tumors, and two life-saving blood transfusions is a reminder of why this work matters.”
Timmy isn’t the first sea turtle to be rescued with an assist from the U.S. Coast Guard, either. A loggerhead named Hope was saved by a boatful of maritime officers in early June after her front flipper was mangled by an anchor.
Although her flipper had to be amputated, Hope has responded well to treatment and has only been growing stronger in her rehabilitation.
“Sending a little Hope your way this weekend,” The Turtle Hospital wrote on July 18, sharing a video of Hope cruising through the water. “Take some time to slow down, enjoy the little things, and soak up the sunshine.”
You may also like: Pancake, one of the world's rarest sea turtles, is swimming free again after nearly freezing to death
Featured Image: U.S. Coast Guard Southeast
