Lennie was admitted with blunt force trauma to the head, an easy diagnosis considering the obvious damage to his skull and eyes. He was also thin and lethargic, but unlike the emaciated “barnacle Bill” turtles we get, we knew Lennie’s condition was directly related to the head injury and the resulting poor vision. He was literally “dazed and confused.” We surmised that, for all intents and purposes, he was blind in his right eye. It was sunken and atrophied. But we were operating on the hope that his left eye, despite being damaged and covered partially with a film remained somewhat functional.

Lennie will be closely watched, and showered with love for the next year or so as we observe his behavior and look for any signs that he’s unhappy. If things go well, Jean will begin the process of petitioning for the necessary federal and state permits that will allow us to keep Lennie as an “educational turtle.”

 

Endangered sea turtles don’t normally stay at the facility forever; sometimes it could be a matter of days before they are better but, more often, years before they reach their peek potential and are considered normal again. The mission of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital is to heal the creatures and place them back into their natural state, living in the ocean. The staff does not focus their treatment to make them dependent upon human hands for food or survival. Their goal is to return them to the sea.