There is a new shell forming under the pink tissue we call the pseudo-shell, this is good news but at this point the new shell is not uniform or sturdy enough to adequately protect Patty.  In fact a large part of what makes a turtle shell protective is the hard covering of the shell which is made of keratin (like our hair and nails), and we have not seen evidence of new growth for this layer, yet.

Additional findings will be made available in Rounds Notes, but in the meantime Patty continues to eat well and as soon as the last dead bone comes off we can take her off antibiotics.  As we approach the one year mark for her rehabilitation it’s also a good time to reflect on the positive effect we’ve had with Patty.  Her back legs are much stronger and she is able to move around her tank.  Her eye’s have cleared and she can see and find food.  She has survived the loss of her shell and we have evidence of new shell growth.  We are also learning about the regenerative properties of turtles in general, so indeed Patty has had a lot to teach us.

I called the IFAW Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program.  They are permitted to respond to stranded animals.  As a trained, authorized volunteer with IFAW, I went a little closer to report on the animal’s condition.  (Some beachgoers held Shanti for me – dogs and seals should be kept away from each other for both of their safety.)

The seal was a gray seal pup, in good body condition, alert and vocal.  It had it’s “lanugo” coat – a fluffy light gray coat these animals are born with.  It’s umbilicus, however, was fully healed.  This told me the animal was between ten days and one month old.

Because it was near dark and the pup was feisty and robust, Misty at IFAW decided to leave it on the beach overnight and check on it again in the morning.  Gray seal pups are weaned as young as 14 days.  As small as the pup seemed, it was old enough to be on its own and leaving it on the beach was giving it a chance to make it on its own.

Be well, young seal, and prosper.

So what should you do if you see a seal on the beach?
~ Stay at least 50 yards away.  If the seal reacts to your presence, you’re too close.
~ Ask other people to stay away, and keep dogs at a safe distance.
~ Observe the animal from a distance, note it’s size, weight, markings, body condition, and whether or not there are any wounds.  If you have a camera or camera phone, take a photo.
~ Note your location and any significant landmarks nearby.
~ Call the authorized stranding network organization.  It is illegal – and dangerous – for untrained people to get too close to seals.  On Cape Cod, call the IFAW Marine Mammal Rescue Hotline at (508) 743-9548.  Elsewhere, check out this map from NOAA to find the authorized respondent in your area.  If you can’t find the number, call your local animal control or police department; they will have the number of folks who can help.
~ Follow the stranding network personnel’s instructions.

Remember that seals periodically come out of the water to rest on the beach.  This is normal and, in fact, necessary for seals.  Unless an animal is clearly in distress, most stranding networks prefer to leave an animal on the beach for at least an overnight in order to see if the animal will leave on its own.

One day soon the National Marine Life Center’s new marine animal hospital will have pools to care for seals that are sick and injured.  Click here to help.

Stranded harp seal. Photo by Barb Schneider.

Finally I thought about seals.  Seals are adaptable.  Seals can handle temperature variation.  Sounds good so far!

Many seals depend on the ice for pupping….  uh oh.

According to a Climate Institute report by Luisanna Carillo-Rubio, harp seal pups are already dying due to lack of sea ice on which they rest.  Additionally, seals’ prey species such as squid are being impacted by warmer temperatures.

Sounds like we need to do something about climate change – for the animals’ sakes if not our own!

Stranded harp seal. Photo by Mary Albis.

Killer Whale spyhopping. Photo by NOAA.

So then I started wondering – what about cetaceans?  Heck, wouldn’t a whale, dolphin, or porpoise love climate change?  More water, warmer water, more places to forage.  Turns out, that’s not the case….

According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society:  “Changes in sea temperature, freshening of seawater, sea level rise, loss of icy polar habitats and the decline of food sources are just some of the many threats posed by climate change.”

For the National Marine Life Center and our partners at the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Marine Mammal Rescue Program, unfortunately, that sounds like more strandings….

For a copy of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society’s report on “Whales in Hot Water”, click here.

Common dolphins. Photo by NOAA.

Photo by National Geographic.

As this week’s United Nations Convention on Climate Change wraps up in Copenhagen, I thought it would be worthwhile to consider the effects of climate change on sea turtles.

According to the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, who recently completed a report on the topic and presented it in Copenhagen, sea turtles are impacted by climate change in three ways.

1) Rising ocean levels. Rises in ocean levels reduce the amount of beach on which sea turtle females can nest.

2) Increasing temperatures.  Whether or not a sea turtle egg develops into a male or female depends on the temperature at which the egg incubates.  Warmer temperatures create more females.  If there aren’t enough males, the population cannot survive.  At the hottest temperatures, eggs won’t hatch at all.

3) Changes to ocean currents.  When ocean currents change, sea turtles may be thrown far out of their habitat and may be unable to return to feed or nest.

For the full report from Sea Turtle Restoration Project, click here.

Photo by Doug Perrine.

Checking out the human.

Now, however, they seem to be coming out of their shells!  Each is exploring his or her environment.  Each seems to be feeling more comfortable in their temporary habitat, and several will often rest floating in the water column with legs outstretched.  Each is developing its distinct diamondback personality (or should I say turtleality?)!

Sleepy.

The tiny creatures are still wary of the enormous two-legged beasts that handle them daily to feed and clean the tank.  I can’t say that I blame them; after all, we weigh almost 20,000 times what they do!  (Please don’t do the math.)

Who's this in the mirror?

All in all, it’s fun to see the terrapin hatchlings coming out of their shells!

Just hangin' out.

Diamondback terrapin hatchling.

Diamondback terrapins live in salt marshes, mud flats, estuaries, and other nearshore habitats.  For years, people harvested them for food, although this is no longer legal in Massachusetts.  Currently listed as “threatened”, they are impacted by habitat loss both of coastline and upland nesting habitat.  They are also frequently hit by vehicles as they cross roads to reach their nesting areas.  Additionally, they can suffer from pollution, environmental toxins, and predation from natural and domesticated predators.

On the scale.

Researchers Don “the Turtle Guy” Lewis and Sue Nourse of Cape Cod Consultants study the turtles in the wild and, working with state officials, bring into temporary captivity those hatchlings unlikely to survive the winter on their own.  Veterinarian Michael Ryer, DVM, MS examines the hatchlings and places them in temporary homes.  The National Marine Life Center is pleased to partner with these individuals in saving diamondback terrapins and returning them to the wild!

Measuring the "straight carapace length" with digital calipers.

We are looking for volunteers ages 14 and up to help with the diamondbacks and cooter hatchlings.  To volunteer, contact Joanne Nicholson at jnicholson@nmlc.org or 508-743-9888 x302.

Dr. Williams uses a magnifying lens to examine the tiny hatchling.