Endangered Sea Turtles given 'all clear' after vital CT scan
The animals made the 280-mile round trip from Weymouth to London
Two sea turtles from SEA LIFE Weymouth have been given the ‘all clear’ after travelling 140 miles for a CT scan.
The endangered sea animals, Sharky and Josie, were severely injured in boat collisions 20 years ago leading to permanent damage to their shells and internal organs.
Due to these injuries, they were classified as "bubble butts," a term used for turtles that have air trapped under their shells, making them too buoyant to dive properly in the wild.
They have spent the last 14 years in the care of SEA LIFE Weymouth after spending nearly a decade at the Marathon Turtle Hospital in Florida.
Jade Cranfield, senior aquarist at SEA LIFE Weymouth, told us: “Both Sea Turtles have been left with deformed shells, so the CT scan looked at bone infection, organ placement, the thickness of their shell and whether Sharky is producing any eggs.”
The journey to the Royal Veterinary College in London was meticulously planned to minimise stress for the turtles.
The rescued turtles were transported, nearly four-hours in custom-made wooden crates equipped with ventilation to ensure comfort.
Their shells were coated with Vaseline to prevent drying and the van was heated at 24°C to accommodate the turtles' tropical needs.
Upon arrival, veterinary clinicians worked alongside SEA LIFE staff to gently anesthetize the turtles and guide them through the CT scan.
Jade said: “All our animals get a welfare assessment just to check their quality of life, but we do it more often for Sharky and Josie just because they have had past medical issues having been hit by a boat, so it’s just to make sure that we're keeping them alive and healthy.”
After a quick review of the scans, the turtles were carefully woken up and returned to SEA LIFE Weymouth, where they resumed their usual routine, including their favourite snack.