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There's much more to North Carolina s three state aquariums than meets the eye.
( \ Xorth Carolina Aquarium
staff member Todd Ilall
J \ gi ngerly lifts a 20-pound sea
turtle from the Styrofoam
cooler on the deck of the
chartered boat, and hoists her overhead
Not that the turtles want for attention.
Staffers see to the turtles' medical needs.
"We also have high school students who
come in on a daily basis and handfeed the
animals." McCann says.
Once the turtles regain their strength.
North Carolina State University, load vet¬
erinarians and the Outer Banks Wildlife
Shelter all lend a hand. In addition, the
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Com¬
mission coordinates some 100 volunteers
who watch over the sea turtles which nest
"I his is Yoda." he tells the visitors who'se
crowded on board for this “freedom run"
into the Atlantic.
Yoda
«
lanes her nrck and treads the
ocean breeze as Hall describes hei
odyssey.
Yoda was brought to the Pine Knoll
Shores Aquarium two years earlier, badly
hacked by a boat propeller, like many sea
turtles each year, she was patiently mused
back to health. Her two-year rehabilita¬
tion has been longer than most. But
today, like five other sea turtles repre¬
senting three piotcctcd species. Yoda is
going home.
I (all leans over the «cm, holding Yoda
above the swells. A quick release, a hefty
splash, and Yoda glides away, a Heeling
golden image within a grey-blue sea.
The Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium
makes this freedom run every May. But,
says Aquarium Education Specialist |.P.
McCann, the passenger list varies from
voyage to voyage. "It all depends on the
number of live standings we have, and
the nuint>er of turtles that are brought to
our facility," he says.
As members of the Southeast Sea Tur¬
tle Stranding Network, die North Caroli¬
na Aquariums — at Roanoke Island. Pine
Knoll Shores and Fort Usher — rehabili¬
tate as many as 30 stranded sea turtles
cat h year. Many arrive cold-stunned.
Some, like Yoda, arc victims of boating
accidents. Others arc hatchlings who
couldn't make the trek to the sea.
But chances arc you’ll never see a
piqued-ltxikiug turtle at any of the state
aquariums. The turtles arc housed in our
txick-up area in tanks." McCann explains.
"1 bis is a stressful lime for the animals.
W’r try to give them as much privacy as
possible."
Pine KitoH Shorn Aquarium imtnulor Tod
flail gets ready to release a sea turtle.
you may find them |x-rfbrming iindcrwa-
lei ballets in the display tanks out front in
the aquarium. "We use the turtles as good¬
will ambassadors," McCann says. At the
Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium, for
instance, four loggerheads and a green
sea turtle arc on display year-round.
"Wc may use them for educational put
poses and release them, or rehabilitate
them and lend them to other facilities.
But once they reach
л
certain size," lie
says, "they come back and arc released."
The aquariums aren't alone in their
quest to help stranded sea creatures.
annually on Boguc Banks.
The volunteers watch over the nests
until the eggs hatch — between fi8 and
72 days. They then follow the hatchlings
to the sea. scooping up stragglers and
bringing them to the aquarium. "We’ll
house them here and rehabilitate thrill,"
McCann says.
Sea turtles aren't the only creatures
who qualify for a helping hand. "All three
of our facilities, in addition to participat¬
ing in a network that's aimed at collect¬
ing sea turtle data, arc also involved in the
Southeast Marine M.uninal Stranding
Network." say's Ned Smith, director of the
North Carolina Aquariums.
"If we’re dealing with something like a
small harbor seal, we may lx- able to hold
something (that size) lor a while. But we
don’t have rehab facilities lor large
marine mammals," Smith adds.
“Dealing with whales is not a possibility
for us."
Animal rehabilitation is only a fraction
of the aquariums' work, as any of their 1 .5
million annual human visitors can tell
you. The three facilities share the same
general mission. That is. we’re interest¬
ed in making our visitois understand and
appreciate the state's aquatic resources
and environments.” Smith says
For visitors that translates into stunning
visual displays, carefully researched edu¬
cational exhibits and year-round field
trips into three varied coastal regions.
The Pine Knoll Shotes facility, fot in¬
stance. lies in the heart of a 296-acre state
natural area and a maritime forest. Its
main display room puts you at eye level
with the creatures of our central coast.
The whole feeling is one of moving into
a dimmer, slower world." McCann says.
The first two tanks are freshwater. Far-
The Stale/May IV94
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