NJ Rescue's Quest To Rehab Sea Turtles Hits New Milestone

WEST ORANGE, NJ — One hundred and forty-nine turtles. That’s how many animals Sea Turtle Recovery has released since opening its facility in Essex County a decade ago – and the nonprofit isn’t done yet.

Sea Turtle Recovery (STR) launched its rehab facility at the Turtle Back Zoo in December 2016. Since then, the group has rehabilitated and released 149 sea turtles back into the ocean.

They’re hoping to add nearly two dozen more to the list.

Currently, the nonprofit has 21 patients in its care at their home base in West Orange, ranging from a 65-pound Loggerhead Sea Turtle to a tiny, 3.7-pound, critically endangered Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle.

They also have seen four Green Sea Turtles strand along New Jersey’s coast, with three of them in critical condition – an unusual occurrence, staff say.

According to co-executive officer Brandi Biehl, two of these patients suffered blunt force trauma injuries (stranding in Atlantic City and Sea Bright), one (from Beach Haven) had severe respiratory illness with barnacles the size of golf balls on its shell, and the last (from Barnegat Light) had a mild respiratory infection.

“Kemp’s Ridleys and Loggerhead species are common patients, but four Green Sea Turtles needing our help in the same year is rare,” Biehl said.

All four were lethargic, dehydrated and not eating upon arrival.

“We had our work cut out for us,” Biehl recalled.

Some cases required some outside-the-box thinking. For example, the staff and veterinarian Hubert Paluch had to invent a stabilizer to pull the shell together on one of the sea turtles.

“The injury was located next to the spine, and we needed a brace to bring the shell together while allowing other tissues to flex,” Biehl explained. “We didn’t want to impede breathing or swimming, or cause spinal damage. We used a lot of ingenuity and so far, so good.”

The team said they’re confident that several of their current patients will be ready for release in a few months, while others could be hospitalized for more than a year.

Having 21 patients, the full-time staff of two is currently working over 50 hours per week, but with all of their patients currently eating and showing signs of improvement, they couldn’t be more thrilled, the nonprofit reported.

According to STR, sea turtles play a critical role for a healthy ocean ecosystem, and the recovery of these endangered animals is helping to ensure the continued survival of their species.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. applauded the group’s efforts.

“Our partnership with them at Turtle Back Zoo contributes to our initiatives to promote conservation and raise awareness about the important role animals have in our world,” he said.

Want to help? The no-profit is hosting their annual South Jersey Brunch event from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28. Guests can learn more about the patients and their journey to recovery. Donors can help cover hospitalization expenses through Valentine and other sea turtle adoption programs. More information is available on the STR website.

• See Related: Brutal Lightning Strike Can’t Stop Sea Turtle Rescue In NJ
• See Related: 15 Endangered Sea Turtles Rescued After Car Crash
• See Related: ‘Cold-Stunned’ Sea Turtles Sheltered At Turtle Back Zoo

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