Day 4: Snapping Doggos and Prickly Bois
Today was our third day at the Turtle Hospital! In the break room, we were greeted with the wonderful sight of Munchkins and brownies homemade by one of the other volunteers. We were able to do more hands-on work with the second group of volunteers.
The day started with feeding the turtles fish, squid, and some leafy greens. Let me tell you, a turtle biting into a cucumber is one of the cutest sights you will ever see. After the turtles enjoyed their meal, we helped scoop waste and clean the tanks. Several of us mopped the floors and cleaned up.
I (Caroline) was able to go into Sick Bay in the morning with Alvin in order to feed the turtles and wash out the tanks. Many turtles in Sick Bay are victims of cold-stunning, which is a form of frostbite that can result in bone and tissue damage. One of the sickest turtles, Maverick, was given a massage "spa treatment". He was taken out of his tank, and I assisted as one of the volunteers gently stroked his flippers and whispered kind words to him. Afterwards, he successfully completed three laps in the therapy pool! Word of advice: if you ever have the chance to look into the eyes of a sea turtle, do it; it will have an instantaneous and powerful effect on you.
Later on in Sick Bay, we assisted with bathing and scrubbing the turtles. The turtles received a soapy wash on their carapace (shell) and plastron (underside), then we scrubbed them clean. Once dried, beta iodine was added to kill bacteria and keep them healthy. Some turtles even received topical ointment treatments that we were able to administer! This was a super cool and exciting moment and we are glad we got to experience it.
Once we finished at the Turtle Hospital, we returned to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher to help clear out trees and weeds that were being chopped down by the friendly neighborhood beaver. We picked up logs, vines and sticks and loaded them a super rad pick-up truck. Donald was especially enthused, and we joked that he was building himself a nest in the bed of the truck.
After we were done with the work, one of the aquarists showed us the research she has been working on about sand tiger sharks. It was neat to see how researchers tag and monitor shark populations, and how the project collaborates with the aquarium.
A long day of service completed, we headed back to enjoy some yummy noms (aka chili) made by Zabrina and Christine. Can't wait for reflection tonight!
Signing off,
Laila and Caroline
The day started with feeding the turtles fish, squid, and some leafy greens. Let me tell you, a turtle biting into a cucumber is one of the cutest sights you will ever see. After the turtles enjoyed their meal, we helped scoop waste and clean the tanks. Several of us mopped the floors and cleaned up.
I (Caroline) was able to go into Sick Bay in the morning with Alvin in order to feed the turtles and wash out the tanks. Many turtles in Sick Bay are victims of cold-stunning, which is a form of frostbite that can result in bone and tissue damage. One of the sickest turtles, Maverick, was given a massage "spa treatment". He was taken out of his tank, and I assisted as one of the volunteers gently stroked his flippers and whispered kind words to him. Afterwards, he successfully completed three laps in the therapy pool! Word of advice: if you ever have the chance to look into the eyes of a sea turtle, do it; it will have an instantaneous and powerful effect on you.
Later on in Sick Bay, we assisted with bathing and scrubbing the turtles. The turtles received a soapy wash on their carapace (shell) and plastron (underside), then we scrubbed them clean. Once dried, beta iodine was added to kill bacteria and keep them healthy. Some turtles even received topical ointment treatments that we were able to administer! This was a super cool and exciting moment and we are glad we got to experience it.
Once we finished at the Turtle Hospital, we returned to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher to help clear out trees and weeds that were being chopped down by the friendly neighborhood beaver. We picked up logs, vines and sticks and loaded them a super rad pick-up truck. Donald was especially enthused, and we joked that he was building himself a nest in the bed of the truck.
After we were done with the work, one of the aquarists showed us the research she has been working on about sand tiger sharks. It was neat to see how researchers tag and monitor shark populations, and how the project collaborates with the aquarium.
A long day of service completed, we headed back to enjoy some yummy noms (aka chili) made by Zabrina and Christine. Can't wait for reflection tonight!
Signing off,
Laila and Caroline
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