PRESS RELEASE - The South Carolina Aquarium Turtle Trek 5K, a sunset beach run and kids fun run, will take place Saturday, October 15 at Isle of Palms County Park. Runners are also invited to participate in a beach litter sweep prior to the run after picking up race packets!
Your support helps us care for sick and injured sea turtles in the Sea Turtle Care Center™, with the goal of rehabilitating each patient so they can make the journey home.
About the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center
All seven species of sea turtles are listed as threatened or endangered, four of which are found in South Carolina: loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, green and leatherback. To help ensure that sea turtles have a future in our oceans, our Care Center aids sick and injured sea turtles in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
At the South Carolina Aquarium, animal care is more than a job — it’s a calling to help ensure sea turtles have a future in our oceans. When a sea turtle is found stranded or injured, SCDNR brings the animal to the Sea Turtle Care Center for treatment. Sea turtles arrive at the Care Center suffering from a variety of ailments, including debilitated turtle syndrome, predation and boat strike wounds, injuries from accidental interactions with fishing gear and even exposure to dangerously low temperatures. Our staff veterinarians diagnose each turtle and work with Care Center staff and volunteers to provide treatments and rehabilitative care. Patients are given IV fluids, antibiotics, vitamins and other medications. Based on the sea turtle’s condition, a variety of procedures may be performed, such as x-rays, CT scans or ultrasounds. Rehabilitated sea turtles are released home in hopes that they will become reproductive members of the sea turtle population.
To date, we have rehabilitated and released more than 355 sea turtles back into their natural habitats. With your support, we can continue efforts to sustain these species into the next century and beyond.
The Mission of the South Carolina Aquarium
Our mission is to inspire conservation of the natural world by exhibiting and caring for animals, by excelling in education and research, and by providing an exceptional visitor experience.
The South Carolina Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Visit https://scaquarium.org/conservationevents and look for the event name for more information and registration.
