South Carolina Aquarium Cares for Smallest Sea Turtle Patient in Aquarium History

A fisherman recently found a juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle entangled and floating atop a pile of marine debris a few miles offshore in Charleston, South Carolina. That turtle, now named Chia, was admitted to South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center. Family travelers can keep up with the care of this record-holding turtle: the smallest sea turtle ever admitted in the aquarium’s history, weighing less than 1.5 pounds upon admit.

© South Carolina Aquarium under SCDNR MTP 2024-0004

“Though this was a critical case, we recognized that what Chia lacked in size, s/he made up for in resilience,” said Melissa Ranly, manager, Sea Turtle Care Center. “This little sea turtle is going to be in our care for a while, and we’re looking forward to comparing Chia’s measurement milestones to random objects throughout the rehabilitation process. There’s no doubt that Chia, though only slightly bigger than my hand, is going to leave quite a large impact on many hearts. Our hope is that when guests connect with patients like Chia during their Aquarium visit, they leave feeling a sense of purpose to protect the water, wildlife and wild places these sea turtles call home.”

Poor Chia’s injuries were substantial, with a front flipper constricted by plastic thread, causing necrotic tissue and exposed bone. There was also damage visible on the right side of the turtle’s head and eye. Surgery amputated the right front flipper to prevent future complications. Chia has shown great resilience thus far, which is all the aquarium hoped for as the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is the most endangered sea turtle species in the world.