Florida Turtles Hospitalized after Exposure to Red Tide Toxin

A crowd of beachgoers cheered and cheered on Tuesday as they watched the Mote Marine crew release two loggerhead sea turtles, named Lilly and Farmer, into the water at Sarasota’s Lido Beach.

Farmer was transferred to Mote’s on February 21st, and Lilly was transferred on March 30th. Both were found with symptoms of red tide poisoning.

Lilly received antibiotics and fluids until symptoms improved, according to a statement from Mote Marine. The farmer suffered from extreme lethargy and received fluids daily to help flush out the toxins.

Both turtles made a full recovery at Moti Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.

“We’re very excited to see them go,” Lynn Bird, Mote’s director of rehabilitation and medical care, said in a press release. “Without the help and intervention of a facility like Mote’s, these animals would not have survived and we would not have had this blissful experience.”

Spring is also turtle nesting season, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission recommends that beachgoers:

• Keep a distance from the nests. Being within 50 feet of a nesting sea turtle can cause it to leave the beach before completing its nesting.
• Keep the beaches clean. Leftovers can attract predators to a nesting site, and litter can engage wildlife as it tries to get ashore.
• Use natural light. Flashlights, cameras, or cell phones can misdirect and disturb nesting sea turtles, which can lead them away from the ocean into danger.

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