Just Keep Swimming

After seeing some of the volunteers move sea turtle eggs from the low tide part of the sand to a higher more safer part near the dunes in the morning, I knew I had to go back and visit the Sea Turtle Hospital. An annual tradition of my family when we go on vacation had started to dwindle down when the original hospital went from being on the island to a couple minutes off the island, when they started to have too many turtles for their small building. 

With the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center now being off the island it is treated more as a tourist and information entertainment option then the small hospital of volunteers that it once use to be. With the Sea Turtle Hospital only open for 4 hours every day, my sister and I knew we would have to get there early to avoid waiting in the line that usually wraps around the building. 

After being rained on while waiting outside, we were finally in, we paid our 5 dollar charge to get the tour. Moving from station to station we learned more about the sea turtle’s that live at Topsail Island, and what ways we can help. After receiving lots of information it was finally time to see some of the turtles that were currently being helped by the hospital. 

Our favorite turtle was definetly “Pirate” who was named after he had lost an eye after a fishing accident and wore an eye patch for a long period of time. He was the most energetic turtle, he would come up from the water and try to escape. 

Other turtles that were currently there were “Big Guy”, “Ghost Rider,” and “Ghost Walker.” Big Guy was the largest turtle there, hence the name, he had a flipper tear from possibly a boat accident. Ghost Rider and Ghost Walker were found on the same beach, both needing some help, the names Rider and Walker came from Ghost Rider actually on top of Walker when they were first found. 

After the turtles pass blood work, and are able to swim and feed on their own they are released back into the same part of the island they were found on to ensure that their “Turtle GPS” system isn’t messed up, and by this they mean that where a turtle is born is where they return to lay their own eggs, their Turtle GPS allows them to find the same location. 

The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center works solely off of admission tickets, donations, gift store sales, interns and volunteers to keep the hospital running. The turtle hospital has been a part of my life since I was young enough to remember going on vacation, I certainly won’t go another year without returning.