On August 29th we received a call from William Coles, PhD from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands with a very sick 123lb female hawksbill sea turtle laden with eggs. She was washed ashore with Tropical Storm Isaac apparently trying to get close to beach to lay her eggs.  With limited resources on the island and the fact they he had sent another turtle to us six years ago, he felt her only hope was to be sent to a facility qualified to attend to her.   Courtesy of American Airlines she was flown from St. Croix to Miami where she met Tom Luebke and Bette Zirkelbach from The Turtle Hospital to begin her care here.  On exam she has deep wounds in both shoulders, as if she had been hooked by fishermen and then repeatedly gaffed to remove the fishing lines.   Her eyes were swollen shut and there also was fluid in her lungs.  On Labor Day, Monday Sept 3 she began to lay eggs.  It has been a rather slow process, so we are awaiting a more powerful drug to induce labor.  The eggs she has laid so far are in native Virgin Island sand and are being incubated here at the hospital.  If any hatchlings survive they will be brought back to the Virgin Islands for release.  We are being optomistic for Good Hope but as of now her condition is still guarded.

Good Hope begins to lay eggs September 4, 2012

Good Hope receiving an ultrasound