Harlow
Harlow
Arrival Date: June 27, 2024
Patient Profile
Name: Harlow
Species: Loggerhead
Weight: 144 pounds
Reason for visit: Debilitated
Location Found: Little Torch Key
Status Report
06/27/24: A family out fishing for the day on Little Torch Key found something more than just first that morning. They spotted a large Loggerhead covered in barnacles floating at the surface of the water severely unwell. This family made the call for help to The Turtle Hospital to get her rescued. Named Harlow after their daughter who helped in spotting the distressed Loggerhead. Upon arrival at The Turtle Hospital, Harlow received various diagnostics to determine her health status which revealed her blood sugar levels were very low. Rehab staff started her on intravenous fluids (IV) with dextrose to assist in bringing up her blood sugar levels. Due to her severe critical status and high stress levels Harlow was placed in a shower bed for her first day here at The Turtle Hospital along with minimal handling to help her become more calm. Harlow while a very large Loggerhead, she is significantly underweight, but she is safe now with her rehab team who will work around the clock to ensure Harlow receives the best care during her recovery here at The Turtle Hospital.
(A shower bed is a therapeutic procedure the rehab staff performs when a very stressed and sick sea turtle arrives. The patient is placed in a shallow pool with a shower spraying water over to help calm and reduce stress while hydrating their shell and skin.)
06/28/24: Today Harlow is adjusting to her hospital tank, due to her size she is in an oblong tank to provide her with enough room to rest and recover. Since Harlow is still very critical she will receive around the clock care to monitor her fluctuating blood sugar levels, additional bloodwork and intravenous fluids as just some of the many supportive care. If Harlow’s blood work does not improve she may need to receive a blood transfusion. This will help give her body the extra boost it needs to improve. At this time our permanent resident of our Fab Five Ms. Medea is on standby and ready to help donate blood should Harlow need it. Rehab team are continuing to remove more of the many barnacles attached to Harlow’s shell, while this is not particularly painful for her, it can be a bit uncomfortable and cause more stress. Her rehab team will break up these sessions in the coming days as they work to remove them all and help her recover. Harlow though has been a wonderful patient for the rehab team, sitting patiently during her treatments and is a very strong eater. This is great since Harlow has a good amount of weight she needs to put on.
(Sea Turtles can donate blood to each other, but must be the same type. Green Sea Turtle to Green Sea Turtle, Loggerhead to Loggerhead, and so on. Blood Transfusions can be done for various reasons in animals just like in humans to help improve their wellbeing when they are very sick.)
07/15/24: This month Harlow is still receiving around the clock care, bloodwork has continued to to come back with fluctuations requiring continued monitoring. Her rehab team has done an incredible job of providing treatments and making sure she has plenty of honey throughout the day to assist with improving her blood sugar values. Rehabbers also removed the final bits of barnacles that were holding onto her shell. This procedure is not painful in any way to Harlow, but can feel a bit weird as they pull them off. With these creatures removed her shell now has the space it needs to recover and heal. Harlow has a long road to recovery here at The Turtle Hospital, staff is doing their best to keep her comfortable by equipping her tank with a shade to provide space for her to hide from guests to reduce stress. We appreciate all the support Harlow’s story has generated with The Turtle Hospital and welcome those to continue to spread awareness of sea turtle conservation.
08/03/24: We have seen some improvements from Harlow recently, while she is still not out of the woods her shell is continuing to heal very well. She has a strong appetite, and even enjoyed some fresh lobster caught during our recent lobster season here in the Florida Keys. Rehabbers relocated Harlow to the farther back oblong hospital tank. Which Harlow very much enjoys, this extra coverage allows her to rest more comfortably and freedom to choose how much exposure she would like. We hope Harlow continues to improve and are thankful she has the entire staff here at The Turtle Hospital doing their part to help. Stay up to date with the latest day to day information here at The Turtle Hospital by following along on our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok!
09/01/24: Harlow has been moved from her oblong tank to the larger hurricane tanks located near the hospital. As she has drastically improved in strength, Harlow is enjoying all the free space this large tank has to offer to really get her speed up. Rehab team has also placed enrichment toys within the space to practice her foraging skills. Harlow has even begun to splash guests who get too close to her tank
09/22/24: Since being moved to the hurricane tanks, Harlow has been showing off just how fast she can swim in the larger space. Her appetite has continued to stay strong and has even put on a little more weight. As visitors come from all over to see Harlow, they have been amazed at her transformation, once a gray in color and very ill to a now bright healthy orange and growing in size. Dr. Norton did a check up on Harlow and is very proud of her progress. Great job to our rehab team for their amazing supportive care in Harlow, we look forward to seeing more of Harlow’s accomplishments as she works toward release.
09/28/24: This week was very different for our current patients and resident sea turtles. As Hurricane Helene made its way through the gulf, The Turtle hospital prepared for the worst by relocating our turtles to the hospital tanks on land and larger hurricane tanks on land. These tanks are built to withstand a CAT 5 hurricane. All sea turtles within the tidal pool were evacuated out as the storm surge could pose a serious danger to our turtles. Harlow was moved down to the oblong tanks, alongside fellow Loggerhead and resident, Little Fat Brianna. Harlow’s larger hurricane tank was used to help house more of our larger resident sea turtles. The Turtle Hospital was luckily only hit with heavy winds and rain, and back open to the public with minor damage from the strong winds. To see more on how we prepared our sea turtles for the storm check out our Instagram for videos.
10/09/24: As things return to normal here at The Turtle Hospital, Harlow has been upgraded to one of the large quads within the tidal pool. Here Harlow can continue her recovery within a larger more natural space. Our tidal pool is directly connected to the ocean, allowing fish to swim within, and a bottom surface covered in coral rocks, sand, and plants. Harlow is definitely loving her new digs, exploring the space throughout the day and can say hello to our resident sea turtles. Harlow has recently become friends with Madea, a Fab Five member, and fellow Loggerhead. Madea can be seen taking her naps alongside Harlow with just the barrier to the sections separating them. We are proud of the progress Harlow has made and will continue to support her till she is approved for release.
11/01/24: Harlow has loved showing off her new room to guests as they come to visit, and even enjoys playing a bit of hide and seek as she has become very good at camouflaging into the algae beds in the corners of her space. Harlow’s current weigh ins show while she has not put on a large amount of weight, she is currently maintaining. A big win for a Loggerhead who came in a few months ago severely underweight. Rehabber’s have been free feeding Harlow, providing more food at times in her space to allow her to enjoy as much as she likes. Harlow will receive a check up with Dr. Norton soon, so make sure her health is still progressing. Make sure to say hello to this big girl during your next visit to The Turtle Hospital.
12/04/24: We have outstanding news to share with our readers. Harlow has been approved for release! After months of hard work, this big girl will be returning to the ocean this month on December 21st on Sombrero Beach here on Marathon island at 9 am. So mark your calendars, spread the word, and join us later this month to wish Harlow good luck on her future adventures. Make sure to follow us on Facebook or Instagram, as we will also go live on both these platforms for those who wish to say goodbye virtually. Ms. Harlow will not only have her identification tags, but will also receive a satellite tracker. This device will be attached to her shell with a shell safe adhesive, staying on anywhere between 1-2 yrs depending on her natural shell shedding. This information will help to not only know where Harlow starts her adventures, but to help understand more about Loggerheads in an effort to assist in conservation of this amazing species.
In the meantime, Harlow is enjoying her tasty meals from the rehab team, all the hellos from admiring guests, and of course all the gossip from the other resident sea turtles in our tidal pool.
Release
Today is the big day, arriving in style in the Turtle Hospital Van, accompanied by her rehab team. Harlow was greeted by a crowd of happy admirers excited to wish this beautiful girl farewell as she returned back to the sea. As soon as her flippers hit the sand she was off! Rushing towards the ocean for her next big adventure. Harlow was outfitted with a satellite tracker to the back of her shell. Attached with a shell safe glue, this tracker will stay attached for up to 2 years sending back vital information to help in sea turtle conservation.
We are so proud of the wonderful care of our Dr. Norton and the rehab team have helped in Harlow’s recovery, and to our education team for helping to spread awareness to incredible sea turtles like her.
Make sure to check back soon for a unique link to follow along on Harlow’s adventures as we track her out at sea.
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