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BIDDEFORD, Maine

Three sea turtles transported from UNE to South Carolina Aquarium; harbor seal released

Three formerly cold-stunned and rehabilitated sea turtles - including two critically endangered Kemp's ridley turtles - were transported on Nov. 4, 2009 via airplane from the University of New England's Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center for further treatment to the South Carolina Aquarium.

Also on Nov. 4th, a rehabilitated harbor seal was released at Granite Point in Biddeford.The seal, "Lily." the last summer-stranded harbor seal, can be tracked at WhaleNet.

The loggerhead turtle will remain at the South Carolina Aquarium for further rehabilitation, and the Two Kemp's ridleys will continue their journey to the Georgia Sea Turtle Hospital for further treatment.

All of the turtles will be released from these locations in the near future once their rehabilitation is complete. 

The three turtles are:

MARC 08-121-Cc "Akela" purple/yellow:  a 95-pound loggerhead that had extensive shell damage and bone loss.  Her recent CT scan showed marked continued improvement and reconstruction of the shell.

MARC-08-116 Lk "Peppermint Patty" white:  Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle rescued with pneumonia and has shown great improvement. 

MARC-08-20 Lk "Knievel" pink/white: Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle that had steatitis, as well as lysis of the humerus, radius, and ulna.  She's using her flipper well now and is improving.

The harbor seal:

"Lily" was rescued in Ogunquit, Maine over the summer and transported to MARC on August 31.  When brought to the Center, the seal weighed 33.8 pounds and had a thin, right eye ruptured and infected, oral and skin lesions, puncture wounds, and possible respiratory infection.  The seal has been rehabilitated and now weighs 59.6 pounds. "Lily's satellite  tag donated by Mike Williamson, director of Whalenet.

"Lily"
MARC 09-073 Pv
Harbor Seal -  Phoca vitulina
Arrival Date: 8/31/2009
Stranded At: Ogunquit, ME
Rescued by: Maine Department of Marine Resources
Gender: Female (< 1 yr.)
Reason for Rehabilitation:  Failure to thrive, Injuries

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.