S.C. Aquarium debuts new sea turtle recovery center

It all started 17 years ago with a plastic baby pool from Kmart. That was when a gravely sick loggerhead sea turtle was brought to the doors of the South Carolina Aquarium. At the time, the facility was not equipped to care for sea turtles in peril. The kiddie pool became a hospital bed for the sick sea turtle as Aquarium staffers nursed the animal back to health.

Eventually, as word spread, large tanks gradually replaced the kiddie pools. Volunteers began pouring in, scrubbing down facilities, maintaining the tanks, and freeing up time for the hospital staff to focus solely on rescue, rehabilitation and release. In the years that followed, it became more apparent that each turtle saved had a unique adventure – and an epic story of defeating the odds.

Almost two decades and more than 200 patients later, the SC Aquarium brought its behind-the-scenes Sea Turtle Hospital to the forefront earlier this month with the opening of the Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery Center.

“Both a hospital and a guest experience, Sea Turtle Recovery sheds light on the rehabilitation of sick and injured sea turtles visible to every guest who visits the Aquarium,” said assistant director Beth Nathan. “The center was brought to life due in no small part to our dedicated staff of volunteers.”

Daniel Island residents Kristen Odell and her son, Dylan, are among those valued volunteers. Dylan, now a rising junior at Academic Magnet High School, began helping at the Aquarium two years ago while being homeschooled.

“Conservation and education are very important in our family,” he explained. “They are also what the Aquarium is all about.”

Dylan said the Aquarium makes sure its volunteers are well-educated, requiring 30-50 hours of training.

“We have been trained to handle snakes, alligators, and turtles to give people an opportunity to touch and learn,” Dylan said. “We educate guests about how an animal is helpful to the environment and what we humans can do to help the animal.”

“This started as an educational experience,” said Dylan’s mother Kristen. “It’s become a great way for us to connect.”

“My mom and I work once a week during the summer and twice a month during the school year,” said Dylan. “It’s a commitment, but it’s also a lot of fun.”

Kristen said she loves working at the touch tank as kids and adults enjoy interacting with the animals and each other.

“Many times I’ve had adults who have never touched a living sea star be filled with wonder at how they move and hold on to their hands when they are touching them,” she shared.

“Seeing the sea turtles has been my favorite experience. Dylan and I love learning their personal stories, watching how they are being helped and knowing how many have been released back to the wild,” Kristen said.

“Now everyone who comes to the Aquarium is going to have an opportunity to see the remarkable care given to the sea turtles, to learn their stories, and to find out how they can help save sea turtles through their actions,” she continued.

The new Recovery Center is located on the main floor of the Aquarium. Some of its features include:

- Upgraded tanks for the turtles to allow adequate space to treat the injured turtles, as well as give guests a chance to come face-to-face with the animals.

- Improved medical facilities to accommodate larger turtles like loggerheads, which can weigh up to 300 pounds.

- Interactive Mock Medical Stations to enable students and guests to experience what it’s like to treat sea animals from triage to release.

- A new classroom theater which hosts daily programs to immerse views in the turtle’s point of view and educate guests about conservation and research.

As the Aquarium expands, committed volunteers like Kristen and Dylan are always needed. Requirements can be found at www.scaquarium.org/volunteer/.