Sometimes, big surprises come in really small packages. A fisherman spotted a juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle — now named Chia — entangled and floating atop a pile of marine debris just a few miles offshore. Chia was swiftly admitted to the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center™. Upon arrival, Chia earned a record-holding title: the smallest sea turtle patient ever admitted in Aquarium history. Weighing less than 1.5 pounds upon admit, Chia was the equivalent of 1.5 loaves of bread, a small pumpkin or a mere 48 tablespoons of chia seeds.
Despite Chia’s size, the injuries to this tiny sea turtle were substantial. Chia’s right front flipper was severely constricted by plastic thread, causing necrotic tissue and exposed bone. There was also significant damage visible on the right side of Chia’s head and eye.
Chia soon underwent an eye exam and surgery to amputate the right front flipper and prevent further complications from the entanglement. Estimated to be only one year old, Chia’s certainly had a slew of hurdles to overcome in a short lifespan so far, but this turtle has already shown resilience in the face of trauma and is on the road to recovery. And for being a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle (named after Richard M. Kemp a fisherman from Key West, Florida who first submitted the species for identification in 1906 according to NOAA) — the most endangered sea turtle species in the world — this progression is all the Aquarium could hope for.
“Though this was a critical case, we recognized that what Chia lacked in size, s/he made up for in resilience,” says Melissa Ranly, Sea Turtle Care Center manager. “This little sea turtle is going to be in our care for a while, and we’re looking forward to comparing Chia’s measurement milestones to random objects throughout the rehabilitation process. There’s no doubt that Chia, though only slightly bigger than my hand, is going to leave quite a large impact on many hearts. Our hope is that when guests connect with patients like Chia during their Aquarium visit, they leave feeling a sense of purpose to protect the water, wildlife and wild places these sea turtles call home.”
The South Carolina Aquarium is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on ticket revenue from guests to continue caring for sick and injured sea turtles, among other critical mission-related work. Every guest who walks through the Aquarium’s doors can witness the lifesaving work happening in the Sea Turtle Care Center™, connect with biologists and educators through exhibits and daily programs and learn stories of patients currently undergoing rehabilitation.
