In Strandings

2015_11_13_eric

I am sad to report that Eric, the lovely little Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, has died.

He couldn’t overcome the combination of emaciation, pneumonia, and the effects of hypothermia.

He had so many things stacked against him.

We did everything we could to help. Eric was cared for with great skill and extraordinary affection by Dr. Chris Harvey-Clark and his team.

We will now send Eric to Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust at the University of Prince Edward Island. Pierre-Yves will conduct a necropsy (which is like an autopsy) and that way we will learn if there were any additional complications Eric was dealing with. I’ll let you know what we hear.

I am trying to look on the bright side.

I am reminding myself that we learn something new with every sea turtle—both alive and dead—and that this is extremely important, particularly with endangered species.

I am reminding myself about how proud I am of the crew at Hall’s Harbour Lobster Pound and the many other people like them in this province who take the time to keep our beaches clear of debris. Who take, simply, the time to walk them. To know the coastline. To be aware of the living place it is.

And then there are the things that I am grateful for that are harder to explain.

During much of the short time I spent with Eric, his eyes were closed. But when I watched him swim, they were wide open. And at one point, while Chris held him out of the water, I had a chance to look into them.

There is a wisdom in those eyes that is different from our own. That knows the world in a way we don’t. What a privilege to have been in its presence.

Showing 9 comments
  • Halls Harbour Lobster Pound
    Reply

    So sad to hear this. We were all rallying for Eric to recover.

  • Halls Harbour Lobster Pound
    Reply

    So sad to hear this news. We were all rallying for Eric.

  • Halls Harbour Lobster Pound
    Reply

    So sad to hear this news. We were all rallying for Eric to recover.

  • Bonnie
    Reply

    Oh dear, this is so sad. I was hoping against hope that Eric would be restored to good health. My own thanks to all who made the effort to help, and perhaps you will learn something from Eric, that will grow your knowledge.

  • Annie
    Reply

    Sad news indeed 😔. Grateful that wee Eric was found and that all possible attempts were made to save him. Hopefully his passing was peaceful. RIP Eric.

  • Pat
    Reply

    So sorry to hear about Eric, it is always so sad when an animal is rescued and one has high hopes that it will recover. I spend a lot of time at Cape Cod, Ma and have been following the story of Eric and that apparently it is very rare for a Kemp Ridley’s turtle to strand as far north as Nova Scotia. Last year there were over 1000 turtles who stranded at the Cape, it was a record and volunteers were very busy, from walking the beaches at low tide to looking after the turtles once they had been picked up. Primarily they were cared for at the Wellfleet Audubon Society, then sent to the New England Aquarium turtle hospital in Quincy.
    http://blogs.capecodonline.com/cape-cod-photography/2014/11/26/washashore-2/
    http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/20141217/News/141219529

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