Turtle’s surgery, return to the wild ‘uplifting’

MauiNews.com: Turtle’s surgery, return to the wild ‘uplifting’
Nearly a week after having an 8-pound tumor removed from his face, a green sea turtle nicknamed "Hearty" was returned to his home at Makena Landing on Thursday evening.

"It was very uplifting," said marine turtle researcher George Balazs, who participated in the release and the surgery on the turtle.

As researchers and volunteers, including the group Ocean Defenders Hawai'i, eased the turtle into hip-deep water, the adult male apparently was pleased to be back in the wild.

"The turtle took off like a rocket ship," said Balazs, leader of the Marine Turtle Research program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's National Marine Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

Balazs said Friday that what made this release special was that this was the second turtle in his program since the mid-'80s that researchers could really help by removing a massive tumor and set it up for hopefully a healthy future.

He said that a lot of times not too much can be done for the tumor-plagued turtles his program receives, as the turtles might be too far gone to help.

Balazs said that in Hearty's case a lot of signs pointed to a possible positive outcome.

For one, the tumor had minimal invasion in the turtle's mouth, and the single massive tumor on his face had a relatively narrow stalk attachment, which was removable with the possibility of a good outcome.

In addition, Hearty's body was not severely emaciated and he had a fully functioning left eye under a lobe of the tumor.

On May 12, Hearty, who was initially nicknamed "Heartbreak" by divers who had been spotting him in the water near Makena Landing, was transported by Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary staff to be airlifted by Aloha Air Cargo to Oahu.

Hearty, whose shell is about a yard long, was taken from the water by people working for ocean-related businesses and nonprofit organizations, sanctuary officials and by folks from the Marine Option Program at the University of Hawaii Maui College.

The turtle then underwent surgery on May 13 by contract veterinarian Robert Morris, who has years of experience in treating sea turtles.

Balazs said that the surgery went well and the tumor came off "quite relatively easy surgically."

There was some bleeding, which the veterinarian was eventually able to stop.

A few days after surgery, the turtle was transferred from Balazs' office in Honolulu and taken to a seawater tank for rehabilitation at Kewalo Small Boat Harbor.

Balazs said he usually doesn't give names to the turtles that he helps, but while he watched the turtle swim around the seawater tank, he decided to call him Hearty.

He said that the turtle had the strength to be a survivor.

Hearty recovered well enough to be released back into the wild quicker than experts predicted, Balazs said.

The turtle has a microchip in each of its hind flippers for tracking purposes. Hearty was transported by air back to Maui to be released.

When Balazs and his staff first treated Hearty, he weighed 147 pounds. When they returned him to the ocean he was eight pounds lighter - having lost the weight of the massive tumor.

Although Hearty was not stranded, people may report stranded sea turtles. In the Kihei area (Maalaea to Makena), call pager 872-5190; in all other Maui areas, call pager 893-3172 first or try 893-3050.