Sea Turtle Hospital Interns
Spotlight on Charlie Lynch
Sometimes it’s the patients who spend years with us. And under our care they grow, get stronger and eventually leave the nest; but then once in a while we get an intern who’s spent enough time with us that we’ve been able to observe the same changes in him. Although Charlie wasn’t exactly a hatchling when he arrived four summers ago we have seen him mature into what, in sea turtle parlance is a strapping “sub-adult.” (Sorry, Charlie—it’s just a metaphor!)
So what keeps Charlie coming back? “It’s all about the turtles, and the work is great!” And if you’re from northern Pennsylvania a chance to live at the beach every summer isn’t too big of a sacrifice, either. After spending his first two summers as a junior intern (even though he was usually here longer than the required two-week stint) he signed on as a college intern in 2009, and is our 2010 lead intern.
As Charlie talked about his experiences over the years a definite theme emerged: the wonder of seeing the amazing recuperative powers of these animals. He cites, for example, “Boater.” When Boater arrived in 2007 with major propeller injuries he required hours of treatment, twice daily for many, many months. He also endured several surgical procedures, as his wound remained resistant to our most advanced treatment protocols. This turtle went through a lot of ups and downs in the past few years, but he never gave up, and neither did we. Now Boater is well enough to greet visitors during our tours, and is hoping to be on the short list for release soon. Charlie’s comment was that it’s great to watch a turtle like Boater progress from almost not making it to being fully recovered and anxious to go home. In fact, as one of our senior residents, Boater seems to feel he’s entitled to special treatment, especially when it comes to turtle cuisine: freshly caught crustaceans only, please, served late in the day.
But first in Charlie’s heart is our not-so-little-anymore Loggerhead, “Lefty.” Lefty and Baldie arrived around the same time as post-hatchlings, both blown in during a storm and stranded on the beach almost completely camouflaged by seaweed. While Baldie had all his appendages Lefty was missing his right flipper (okay—so we weren’t especially creative with the name!) Because we’re always so cramped for space Lefty’s successively larger tanks could never quite keep up with his growth spurts. Now Charlie is ecstatic to see that Lefty is not only in a tank big enough for him to stretch out all three flippers, but that he can also show off his diving and navigation skills during the tours. And in homage to his favorite Loggerhead Charlie sports a wooden sea turtle around his neck with a missing left flipper. His “story” is that it happened one night when he “accidentally” rolled over on the thing in his sleep. You can judge for yourself during a visit to our hospital.
Charlie will be returning to Penn State as a junior where he is majoring in Community Environment and Development. His ultimate goal is to get a job where he will be instrumental in community management, especially in the area of land use and environmental policy. In his spare time he plays the saxophone, and he brought it with him to entertain the troops. Last year he left us with an original tune, “The Lennie Song” and we’ll bet that this year he’s working on a musical tribute to Lefty. Maybe he’ll come back in 2011 to perform both compositions!
And big flipper hugs to…
George Hamilton IV (V and IV) and the rest of the Hamilton family for graciously taking time from their vacation to entertain an adoring and enthusiastic crowd with song and story. We’re incredibly fortunate to have this international country and gospel star sing for our turtles every summer. And the younger Georges, V and VI are developing quite a following of their own here on the island. Thank you again, from the volunteers, turtles and all your fans.
New hospital on track
We can’t wait for January to get here for two big reasons: it will surely be much cooler, and our new facility is scheduled to be completed. This $1.4 million project is a tremendous and much needed undertaking, and we’re still about $200 K short. We have undying faith that all of you will continue to support us financially, not only in our current facility but also in making up that shortfall for the new building. Check out our website, www.seaturtlehospital.org for details on the “Family Giving Challenge,” and ensure that your favorite patient gets back home through our “Adopt-A-Sea-Turtle” program.
Tours, Talks and Nesting Turtles
Hospital Tours: Daily (except Wednesday and Sunday) from 2 to 4 p.m. Meet five of our patients during a tour of our hospital, including our resident Kemp’s “Ambassador Lennie.” We’re enjoying record crowds this year and lines can be long, especially toward the end of the week. Come prepared with umbrellas and sunscreen, and if you live locally plan to visit on our least crowded afternoon, Saturday. Shop our gift shop for items exclusive to our hospital. This will be your last summer to visit us here on the island, behind the blue water tank in Topsail Beach. Please feed that big donation jar on your way out. All contributions go toward our new facility as well as fund our work at our current location. We’re staffed by volunteers and completely supported by YOUR donations!
Turtle Talk: Our popular “Turtle Talk” is back every Wednesday, through August. This family-friendly introduction to the wonderful world of sea turtles is held at the Surf City Community Center from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. (so you won’t get caught at the bridge)! There will be lots of handouts and hands-on stuff for kids and adults. It’s fun, informative and free, but of course donations for our turtles and the hospital are gratefully accepted.
Topsail Turtle Project: We’re moving into our final month of nesting and nesting mamas have put in an impressive effort—more than 70 nests—with one hatch so far! Be sure to follow the adventures of Loggerhead “Topsail Belle” who was fitted with a satellite tracker after nesting here earlier in July. You can see what she’s up to by visiting www.seaturtle.org. You can also follow the journey of “Sennet,” a former hospital patient who was released last September with a satellite tag.
Our area coordinators continue to collect one egg from each nest to be used in an important DNA study (more about that later when data starts coming in.) Nesting will continue through August, so keep your eyes open for any and all sea turtle activity (nesting, stranding, harassment and/or unattended holes that could trap nesting mamas.) If you spot something contact Terry Meyer, our Director of Beach Operations, at 910-470-2880. You can keep up with nesting stats on our website: www.seaturtlehospital.org.
Questions/Comments?
Contact me at: [email protected] with questions or comments. For an application to become a hospital volunteer or to be added to our future e-newsletter contact me at: [email protected].
Karen Sota is the volunteer media coordinator for the Sea Turtle Hospital in Topsail Beach.
