South Carolina Aquarium

Philanthropy can take on many forms, and during this gift-giving season, a surprise special delivery can make all the difference to one person... or one sea turtle. That's why we have a giving stream of tangible items for our supporters via an Amazon Wishlist of animal care needs. So many vital instruments and supplies needed to treat critically sick and injured sea turtles, like Quiche pictured here, are generously gifted to us by our community of conservation advocates who want to take advantage of a direct giving approach. Take a look at our offerings here: scaquarium.org/wishlist P.S. Leave your name and contact information in the gift note for a special thank you from our staff!

Do you know a teen with a passion for conservation? Encourage them to turn their passion into action for the future of our planet by applying for Teen Conservation Crew! This paid opportunity offers 9th and 10th grade students hands-on experiences in mitigating climate change within our community. Teen Conservation Crew mates participate in resilience-oriented classes and activities, including dolphin population counts, artificial reef ball construction, horseshoe crab egg density surveys, flood monitoring and more! Activities follow an extracurricular approach and will be schedule around typical school hours throughout two semesters: spring and fall. Applications close on November 15 — don't miss the opportunity to help a teen transform conservation awareness into action! Apply now: https://lnkd.in/g9Da9u7G

Every day, our educators, volunteers, biologists and beyond commit themselves to teaching the next generation about all things STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. This #NationalSTEAMDay, join us in celebrating their dedication to inspiring new learners, passionate conservationists and creative artists.

You butter believe Bagel’s back in the wild! Alongside Bao, Crumpet and Sausage, these four sea turtle patients were released into the wild this week, bringing our 2024 count of released patients to a record-breaking 43! All sea turtle conservation work is authorized by the SC Department of Natural Resources Marine Turtle Permit No. 2024-0004

Celebrate the culmination of #NationalSeafoodMonth by pledging to Ask Before You Order anytime you're craving seafood! By simply asking the business, "What local seafood are you serving today?" you are supporting a healthy, balanced ocean and our local economy! Take the pledge: https://lnkd.in/eB5CVaxb

The saltmarsh plays a pivotal role in soaking up incoming storm surge inundation and rain, but how do severe weather events affect the seafood species within this ecosystem? ?? Find out in our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/dmVQwPSw

#DYK we work to lead and encourage communities to support local and sustainable seafood practices throughout South Carolina? Through South Carolina Aquarium Good Catch, we aim to educate consumers how to interpret which seafood options are local and sustainable, make local seafood accessible to all members of the community and work with dedicated partners to help spread this message. Today kicks off #NationalSeafoodMonth, and we challenge you to learn something new about our local seafood industry at scaquarium.org/goodcatch

It's important to celebrate milestones, big... and small. We recently admitted our smallest sea turtle patient ever, a Kemp's ridley named Chia! Chia, weighing a whopping 1.4 pounds, was found by a recreational fisherman a few miles offshore. This tiny sea turtle, about as heavy as 1.5 loaves of bread, was entangled in plastic debris which wounded her/his front right flipper and the right side of the head and eye. Shortly after admit to our Sea Turtle Care Center?, Chia’s eye was examined by Dr. Anne Cook from Animal Eye Care Associates to look for severe injury and Chia underwent surgery to amputate the injured portion of the right front flipper.? We've replaced tiny with another "t" to describe Chia: tenacious! Chia is now recovering from surgery, swimming well in deeper water and eating regularly. The road to recovery is long, so join us in cheering on Chia! All sea turtle conservation work is authorized by the SC Department of Natural Resources Marine Turtle Permit No. 2024-0004

Pops of red dotted the Folly Beach horizon this morning as we brought transport bins — six rehabilitated sea turtle patients safely tucked inside — down to the surf. A cheerful celebration followed as Babka, Butter, Crepe, Flapjack, MoJo and Sunny Side returned back to the wild to become reproductive members of their population.? ? There were striking similarities between these sea turtles’ respective stories: - All are Kemp's ridley sea turtles, the most endangered sea turtle species in the world - All were admitted to the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center? after being hooked by fishermen? - All were adorably named after breakfast items ? These six sea turtles join the 424 others who have been rescued, rehabilitated and released throughout our Aquarium history — an astonishing statistic that serves as a powerful reminder of our collective impact. ??

Meet Quiche, a juvenile green sea turtle recently admitted into our care??? Since intake, Quiche’s journey has been nothing short of miraculous. This little turtle narrowly avoided paralysis from a boat strike wound to her/his carapace (top shell), but faced bigger hurdles still with a deep wound around the left front flipper, leaving amputation as the only lifesaving option. ? Now recovering on a feeding tube and in the safety of a shallow kiddie pool, Quiche has quickly won the hearts of many. Despite facing seemingly insurmountable odds, Quiche has been a fighter throughout the entirety of her/his rehabilitation. ? Rehabilitating sick and injured sea turtles takes time, effort, expertise and funds. We always aim to remind our guests that their admission to the Aquarium is what allows us to continue treating sea turtles like Quiche.? ? All sea turtle conservation work is authorized by the SC Department of Natural Resources Marine Turtle Permit No. 2024-0004