Jack & Stacy's Excellent Adventure!: So long to the Florida Keys

Today, we left the Keys. We have been there for 3 weeks, but it was time to leave.

However, before we left, we visited the Turtle Hospital on Marathon Key. The Keys are home to 5 different species of sea turtles, and this place rescues, rehabilitates and releases turtles that need help.

It is housed in an old gulf-side motel. The rooms have been converted to staff housing. The staff is on-call 24x7, and will go anywhere, anytime to retrieve a turtle who needs help.

Public Service Announcement: Though adorable, turtles are NOT bright. They will eat anything that they think might be food. Several of the "patients" were brought in because they were "floaters" - that is, they had so much intestinal gas built up from foreign body obstruction that they could not dive below the surface (where the food is located). Some were found to have balloons, grocery bags, six-pack loops, and other objects in their intestines. The message: PICK UP YOUR TRASH!!!

Several were here because they had become entangled in fishing line or nets.

And, several more were here due to the fibropapilloma virus, which started as a land-based virus. But due to water pollution from land run-off, it has invaded the oceans. It causes debilitating vascular tumors, inside and out. It affects Green Turtles primarily. These tumors have to be removed by laser surgery, and the turtles must then be observed for one year before being released.

Finally, some turtles are here because they had a run-in with a boat propellor. They either have fractured shells, or internal injuries. Their spinal cords are attached to their shells, so damage to their shells transfer damage to their spinal cords.

Anyway...it was a really interesting tour, and a remarkable sanctuary.