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Meet Queen!
Queen is a Female adult loggerhead sea turtle that stranded at Ho Hum Beach in Bellport, NY on July 31, 2021. With the support of our partners at Fire Island National Seashore, we were able to access the 300 lbs.+ animal and transported her back to our facility located in Riverhead, NY. An in-house physical was performed by our veterinarians and the animal was diagnosed with Debilitated Turtle Syndrome (DTS) which consists of malnutrition, starvation, fatigue and lethargy. DTS is often observed in older sea turtles especially loggerhead sea turtles and involves a lot of round the clock care and resources. Queen is the largest hard-shelled sea turtle that NYMRC has ever admitted for rehabilitation, and one of the largest sea turtles admitted within the Greater Atlantic Region Stranding Network (Maine-Virginia). With that said, this powerhouse animal needed the ultimate name…..QUEEN!
Over the next two months, Queen was provided fluid therapy, vitamin supplements, and antibiotics by our animal care staff. During this time, Queen grew stronger and was moved from an indoor holding tub to a large outdoor tank where she was able to increase her diving capabilities and forage for live food. The animal care team worked around the clock ensuring that Queen was given the best care. Bi-weekly physicals were performed where blood samples were obtained, and measurement and weight were recorded. All this information gathered provides the team with further insight on how Queen was healing. Based on a routine physical performed in late September, Queen was taken off antibiotics and was cleared for release by our senior veterinarian.
On October 7, 2021, Queen was removed from her temporary home and prepared for release. Final measurements, photos and weight was obtained from Queen leaving us at a final weight of 388 lbs. In addition, Queen received a PIT tag which is similar to a microchip and flipper tags were attached to her hind flippers. Both types of tags help with future identification of this animal if she were to be resighted. Lastly, Queen was equipped with a satellite tag by our Rescue Program Director Maxine Montello. This device allows for us to monitor the post-release behavior of our release candidates. The NYMRC team puts a lot of resources into each animal and information gathered from these tags can support the overall mission of NYMRC.
Where is She Now?
Satellite tags give data as long as the tag is live! The longest tag NYMRC has seen active was sending data for ~2 years!
Satellite tags can stop providing data for many reasons, including the animals’ growth and behavior, predation, computer error or batteries dying!
Although we can’t track Queen’s live location anymore, watching her path after release gives us a good glimpse at how far sea turtles will travel!
Meet Pegasus!
Pegasus is an adult female Loggerhead sea turtle who stranded originally at Assateague National Park in Baltimore, Maryland on June 4th, 2024. Pegasus was seen struggling to swim against waves, and was responded to and admitted by the stranding team at the National Aquarium in Baltimore! The team found that Pegasus was suffering from a bouyancy imbalance, likely from a vessel strike.
To treat this, the team administered velcro-attached weights to Pegasus’ shell, helping her get more comfortable swimming lower in the water column and resting at the bottom of the pool. Weights were slowly decreased so that Pegasus could practice controlling her bouyancy on her own!
About a year after her initial intake, the National Aquarium transferred Pegasus to the New York Marine Rescue Center hospital. NYMRC was able to place chestnut into our deeper outdoor pool, monitoring her ability to dive and swim through a deeper water column.
During her time in rehabilitation, Pegasus’ weights were slowly removed, and NYMRC biologists saw great improvements in her buoyancy !
On September 23rd, 2025, NAIB joined NYMRC to send Pegasus back to her ocean home! Pegasus was affixed with a satellite tag, allowing both the National Aquarium and NYMRC teams to watch her journey after release! NYMRC is so thankful for the opportunity to assist our stranding partners over at NAIB and to have been part of Pegasus’ rehabilitation journey!
Where is She Now?
Satellite tags give data as long as the tag is live! The longest tag NYMRC has seen active was sending data for ~2 years!
Satellite tags can stop providing data for many reasons, including the animals’ growth and behavior, predation, computer error or batteries dying!