Sea Turtles
Thank you for your adoption of our resident sea turtles. We have included photos and a short bio
of each turtle. For complete information on each of these amazing animals and all the residents of
Clearwater Marine Aquarium, please visit SeeWinter.com.
Ula
Madam
Max
Cocoa
Rob
Stubby
Bailey
Titus
Cupid
Sea Turtles
Bailey
Cocoa
Bailey
Cocoa
Species: Green
Origin: Bailey’s Bluff, Florida
Sex: Male
Age: Adult
Weight: 73 kilograms/160 pounds
Favorite Food: Squid
Species: Green
Origin: Cocoa Beach, Florida
Sex: Male
Age: Adult
Weight: 80 kilograms/175 pounds
Favorite Food: Leafy greens, Capelin and Squid
Bailey joined the Clearwater Marine Aquarium family in November,
1989. Upon arrival, Bailey had pneumonia, a fractured front flipper
and a buoyancy disorder. Bailey overcame many of his initial
challenges, but unfortunately still retains his buoyancy disorder.
Although many think that Bailey has air trapped in the back of his
carapace, causing him to float, he actually suffers from paralysis.
We believe that Bailey was pulled up into a fishing net and then
dropped onto his back when the fishermen unloaded the contents of
the net onto the deck of the boat. Because his spine is fused with his
carapace, he sustained permanent damage to his spinal cord, leaving
him paralyzed from mid carapace down. Bailey loves to receive
attention (both verbal and tactile) from our staff, interns
and volunteers.
Our gentle boy Cocoa was found by a fisherman, floating near the
Hanlover Canal on February 28, 1999. Cocoa had deep propeller
damage to his head, his right front flipper and plastron. Recovered
by the Coast Guard, he arrived at Clearwater Marine Aquarium on
March 1, 1999. Upon closer examination of his wounds, it was found
the head wound went through the top of his skull, through his left eye
and down through his maxilla. Cocoa had a variety of issues
including a broken ulna in his right front flipper, a semi-healed
fractured radius in his left front flipper, a ruptured right eye and
severed edges of the maxilla that would need to be surgically
rejoined. Although Cocoa has overcome many obstacles, the trauma
to his head did a substantial amount of damage, leaving him
completely blind. Cocoa regained normal mobility in his flippers
and while he has the ability to swim normally, dive, and rest on the
bottom, he cannot forage nor locate food on his own. Every day, one
of our volunteers gets into the pool and hand-feeds him squid, fish
and greens. This is not just an exciting experience for our volunteers,
but for Cocoa as well, because we use his feeding time as an
opportunity for tactile enrichment. In March 2014, Cocoa celebrated
his 15th year with us here at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Sea Turtles
Titus
Madam
Titus
Madam
Species: Green
Origin: Titusville, Florida
Sex: Female
Age: Sub-adult
Weight: 71 kilograms/155 pounds
Favorite Food: Leafy greens
Species: Kemp’s ridley
Origin: Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Weight: 41 kilograms/90 pounds
Favorite Food: Capelin and Squid
Titus was brought to Clearwater Marine Aquarium on
January 14, 2002. She had an old propeller injury, a small
treatable papilloma tumor and a buoyancy disorder very similar to
Bailey’s. Titus had her tumor removed and was evaluated for release.
Once it was determined Titus would not be a candidate for release
due to her inability to remain submerged, she became a permanent
member of our sea turtle family. Titus loves to eat greens and swims
directly over to the ledge during feeding sessions to receive some
tactile attention. She can often be found sleeping under the rocks in
her habitat.
Madam is one of the most social turtles we have here at Clearwater
Marine Aquarium, likely because she has spent her entire life as one
of our residents. In the late 1980’s the aquarium was involved in a
sea turtle breeding program. On August 6, 1988, Madam hatched
here at the aquarium. Because Madam has spent her whole life in
our care, she is not able to be released into the wild because she
would not have the life skills necessary to survive. Madam loves when
our interns and volunteers surprise her with some ice toys. She is
very smart and has progressed the furthest in her voluntary medical
management program.
Sea Turtles
Cupid
Max
Cupid
Max
Species: Green
Origin: Franklin County, Florida
Sex: Female
Age: Sub-adult
Weight: 25 kilograms/55 pounds
Favorite Food: Squid, Capelin and Leafy Greens
Species: Kemp’s ridley
Origin: St. Petersburg, Florida
Sex: Male
Age: Adult
Weight: 27 kilograms/59 pounds
Favorite Food: Capelin and Squid
Cupid was found stranded on February 14, 2010, in Franklin County,
Florida, with abrasions on her head and covered with barnacles.
Cupid was missing half of her right rear flipper from an old, healed
wound. She also had a buoyancy issue and associated malformed
carapace that is presumably related to the wound. This prevents her
from staying submerged when diving and is the primary reason she
was deemed un-releasable. Her length was 40cm straight carapace
length and she weighed 7.9 kgs at stranding. Cupid was transferred
to CMA on July 24, 2010, weighing 11 kgs and was placed in a
2,000 gallon rehab pool. In an effort to treat the buoyancy problem,
weights were attached to her carapace in June 2011. These
remained on her until November. Unfortunately this failed to
correct the condition.
Max has been a resident at Clearwater Marine Aquarium since
January 12, 1988, after sustaining a severe head injury that left him
mostly blind and thus unable to be released. Max is hand-fed to
make sure he receives a well-balanced diet since he is unable to
forage for food on his own.
Sea Turtles
Rob
Stubby
Rob
Stubby
Species: Kemp’s ridley
Origin: Crystal River Power Plant in Citrus County, Florida
Sex: Male
Age: Adult
Weight: 30 kilograms/65 pounds
Favorite Food: Squid
Species: Green
Origin: Duval County, Florida
Sex: Female
Age: Adult
Weight: 77 kilograms/170 pounds
Favorite Food: Leafy greens and Squid
Rob was found at the Crystal River Power Plant in Citrus County on
September 3, 2001, and admitted to Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
A juvenile at the time, he weighed only 7 lbs and had a wound to
both his upper and lower jaw on the right side. Although this was an
old wound that had healed, the rhombus on his top jaw was sliced all
the way down to his bone. His injuries made it difficult for him to eat
initially but by the end of October, staff began to combine tube
feedings with hand-feeding sessions. Things started to turn around
when he began foraging on his own in mid-November. The uneven
growth of his mandible caused a few abscesses and he had a
growth under his lower jaw which was pulled and sutured in 2008.
Rob had two minor surgeries, one on July 16, 2008, and one on
July 17, 2008, to remove a large amount of granuloma tissue as well
as small amounts of necrotic bone. He was then put on antibiotics
and his eating pattern slowly returned to normal. Today, Rob weighs
over 60 lbs and he has come a long way from the 7 lb little guy that
stranded in 2001. Rob is a very easygoing turtle who loves his squid
and spends most of his time napping.
Stubby was picked up on the east coast of Florida in Duval County
by Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) and brought to
Clearwater Marine Aquarium on May 9, 2001, because she
sustained severe injuries from a monofilament entanglement.
Both front flippers were missing, pieces of her rear flippers had
been nibbled off and she had a buoyancy disorder. Stubby’s
wounds healed but she continued to float and is unable to dive
because she lacks front flippers. Even though she has had many
difficulties, Stubby is one of the happiest turtles at the aquarium.
She quickly swims over to greet visitors at her pool and loves
receiving a lot of tactile therapy during her feeding sessions.
Sea Turtles
Ula
Ula
Species: Green Sea Turtle
Origin: Clearwater Beach
Sex: Female
Age: Sub-adult
Weight: 43 kilograms/94 pounds
Favorite Food: Squid, greens, avocado and zucchini
Ula is a green sea turtle that was found floating off Clearwater Beach
in April 2013. The tail end of her carapace was depressed
(resulting in the “humped” shape of her carapace) which caused
her to have a buoyancy disorder making it difficult for her to dive.
These conditions led us to believe that she had once been struck by
a boat. She is currently residing in Turtle Bayou in order to provide
her deeper water to swim and forage in. Ula’s behavior will be
continuously monitored so as to determine whether she will be a
permanent resident or a candidate for release. Ula’s name means
“Jewel of the Sea”.
Certificate of Adoption
SEA TURTLES
Proud adoptive parent
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