Sea Turtle Hospital News

Spotlight on Charlie Lynch
The other half of our dynamic duo of guys is Charlie Lynch. Charlie has spent pretty much every summer of his nineteen years at the family home on Serenity Point. Although he’s been a volunteer at the hospital since 2007 this is the first time he’s pinned on the official "intern" badge. Charlie loves the beach, and says that working with the turtles is a "good thing to do." Do you think he might be picking up some of his phrasing from his "good" pal and fellow intern, Ben?

Charlie knew from experience the type of work to expect and was totally prepared to deal with the cleaning, feeding and medical stuff. What he couldn’t anticipate was that within days he’d be subjected to a crash (as in, the system crashed) course in plumbing. Maybe the excitement of seeing all those new faces caused our persnickety water system to act up, but then, it doesn’t take much for it to throw a fit. After spending a lot of quality time with pipes, pumps and filters over the past few months Charlie has actually become quite fond of our water system, and he’s pretty proud that he can keep it in good working order. So in the event that his degree in Environmental Studies doesn’t work out as planned Charlie (aka Mr. Fixit) now has an alternate career in plumbing.

Photo: Charlie Lynch checking "Semper Fi’s" progress.

Charlie also didn’t expect the staggering number of turtles we’ve admitted so far this summer; mostly large, very sick turtles that require daily takedowns and extensive treatments. There are so many of them that they’re in temporary housing outside. As a caretaker Charlie gravitates toward the big turtles because "they don’t hurt as much." That may sound strange, but those of us who work with these critters have the cuts and bruises to prove that good things don’t always come in small (turtle) packages. Those little Greens and Kemp’s have wickedly strong flippers and slashing nails, and they’re not afraid to use them! Loggerheads, on the other hand are pretty much content to "give you the eye" if they’re not happy with what you’re doing.

After attending his first release ever this June Charlie is hoping that some of his patients will be well enough to go home this fall, and that he’ll find a way to be on-hand for their going away party. His advice to incoming interns is to be flexible and "not worry too much, because if you go with the flow things will work out." He’s headed back to his home in Springfield, PA, and then to Penn State where he’ll be a sophomore. If he returns next year we hope he’ll bring his saxophone and play a few tunes for our patients. Isn’t there something about music soothing the savage beasts?

Spotlight on Caroline Lea
Caroline signed on after her NC State roommate, 2007 alumni intern Annie Johnson convinced her that our hospital is the best place on earth to get hands-on experience with aquatic wildlife. After listening to Annie go on and on Caroline was pretty sure she knew two things for certain about our internship: it was going to be a BIG learning experience, and she was going to be thoroughly exhausted. If that weren’t enough she added a specific goal for herself: personal change. She says she was always quiet and timid, and preferred to remain in the background rather than be the one who was always telling people what to do. Now she’s out of her carapace and is definitely not shy about making suggestions and taking the lead.

Like most of this year’s interns she’s in love with our large turtles, especially the ones with the severe wounds that are very time consuming to treat. She’s a detail person and she’s met her match with "Ophelia," a good-sized Loggerhead with an exacting protocol that requires patience and precision. These are all the great qualities that you expect to see in an Animal Science major who’s also pre-vet.

Photo: Caroline Lea gives "NOAA" his treatment.

While Caroline wasn’t at all surprised by the hard work and the hands-on opportunity she was a little bemused when told that she would be training and mentoring our junior interns. Guess Annie forgot to mention that little tidbit! But she says it’s offered her an unexpected and very different perspective on the work, and given her more opportunities to develop and practice patience.

One of her most memorable moments this summer was the day she found the fishhook in "Squirt’s" tank. Now before you think "what’s the big deal" this small act of extra vigilance while cleaning a tank saved one little Kemp’s from undergoing very invasive surgery with possible dire consequences. Squirt was literally on the doorstep of the Vet School when Jean got the call that the little critter had literally "squirted" out the hook and healed himself.

Carolines very sage advice to incoming interns is to "eat a good breakfast, because you never know when you’ll have time to eat again."  In her spare time she writes and keeps a detailed personal journal. She likes doing just about anything outdoors, especially volleyball and soccer. In a few weeks she’ll be back at NC State as a junior, "missing the turtles and the communal living at the intern house."

Hospital Open House: Daily, except Wednesday and Sunday, from 2-4 PM through the end of August. The gift shop is also open during these hours. Lines can be long so come prepared with sunscreen and umbrellas for shade. Your minimum contribution of $2 per adult and $1 per child will help us reach that final $350,000 we need to build our new facility, and anything above and beyond is greatly appreciated. We’re behind the big blue water tank in Topsail Beach.

Turtle Talks: Every Wednesday through Labor Day from 3:45 - 4:45 PM at the Surf City Community Center. This informative, family-oriented program is fun and has hands-on turtle stuff and handouts for all ages. Our program is free but all donations are gratefully accepted.

An amazing group of four Girl Scouts from Salem, VA arrived last week and set up a table of sea turtle related objects. After a short presentation they offered all the items for sale, and immediately donated the entire proceeds (over $110) and all remaining items to our hospital. Erin Widener, Elena MacDonald, Samantha Yates and Haley Burgess are all working toward their Silver Level Award. They made the trip from VA for the express purpose of visiting the hospital and selling these items to donate. Flipper hugs to these very special ladies.

Topsail Turtle Project
We’ve still under 60 nests so those Loggerhead ladies might want to check their calendars to see just how little time there is until the end of our official "season."  During August our volunteers are working a split shift: walking for tracks in the morning and preparing for hatches at night. As the incubation period ends you’ll see that some of the staked areas have been ramped and smoothed in anticipation of the blessed event. You’ll also see our volunteers sitting nearby ready to lend a benign hand to any hatchlings. If you’re lucky enough to be around during a hatch remember that our volunteers are in charge. You’re welcome to stay if you can sit quietly and follow their instructions.

All sea turtles are federally protected animals. Harassing or interfering with them or their nests in any way is punishable by a hefty fine and/or imprisonment. Please report any incidents of nesting, hatching, injury, stranding or harassment to our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at 910-470-2880 immediately.

Questions, comments or suggestions for stories
Contact me at: flippers@embarqmail.com.