Bubble-Butt, an adult male Green sea turtle, has been a resident at the Hospital longer than any other turtle! He arrived in March of 1989 with a deformed shell caused by a boat hit. This left him unable to dive to search for food, and caused his posterior end to bob at the surface. Because of this injury, he became known as a “Bubble-Butt.” When rehabilitation measures failed to correct his flotation problem, he became a permanent resident. In an effort to give him a more comfortable life here at the Turtle Hospital, a 2 1/2 pound lead weight has been fiberglassed to his shell. This weight counteracts his flotation problem and enables him to maintain a normal swimming posture and rest comfortably on the bottom.

Bubble-Butt must remain at the hospital because the fiberglass is only semi-permanent. If we released him back into the ocean and he lost this weight, Bubble Butt would again be unable to dive for food and would be an easy target for boaters.