Audubon Aquarium Rescue Caring for Oiled Turtles

Audubon Aquarium Rescue is caring for four sea turtles that encountered  oil in local waters.

The turtles, three green sea turtles and one juvenile Kemp’s ridley, are being cared for at the Audubon Aquatic Center on the West Bank. Upon arrival at the Audubon facility, they received complete physical examinations and veterinarians developed individual treatment plans for their care.

"Due to the circumstances of their stranding, these turtles are being closely observed during their rehabilitation. Each turtle has had external oil removed and we are monitoring for any signs of oil ingestion," said Gabriella Harlamert, Stranding and Rehab Coordinator for Audubon Aquarium Rescue. "Our top priority is to get these animals healthy and released back into the Gulf as soon as possible."

Both green sea turtles and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are residents of Gulf waters off the Louisiana coast. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the smallest and most critically endangered of all sea turtle species.

February through June is peak turtle stranding season in Louisiana. With more than 7,700 square miles of complex coastline for AAR to cover, public reporting is critical to helping find stranded animals. If you spot stranded or out-of-habitat marine mammals and sea turtles (live or dead) call Audubon Aquarium Rescue at 877-942-5343.

Audubon Aquarium Rescue is authorized to rehabilitate sea turtles by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and marine mammals by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). AAR is the only entity in the state of Louisiana responsible for the rehabilitation of live marine mammals and sea turtles.