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
Bailey Cocoa Bailey Origin: Bailey s Bluff, Florida Weight: 73 kilograms/160 pounds Favorite Food: 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. Cocoa Origin: Cocoa Beach, Florida Weight: 80 kilograms/175 pounds Favorite Food: Leafy greens, Capelin and Squid 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.
Titus Madam Titus Origin: Titusville, Florida Age: Sub-adult Weight: 71 kilograms/155 pounds Favorite Food: Leafy greens 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 Species: Kemp s ridley Origin: Clearwater Marine Aquarium Weight: 41 kilograms/90 pounds Favorite Food: Capelin and Squid 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.
Cupid Max Cupid Origin: Franklin County, Florida Age: Sub-adult Weight: 25 kilograms/55 pounds Favorite Food: Squid, Capelin and Leafy Greens 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 Species: Kemp s ridley Origin: St. Petersburg, Florida Weight: 27 kilograms/59 pounds Favorite Food: Capelin and Squid 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.
Rob Stubby Rob Species: Kemp s ridley Origin: Crystal River Power Plant in Citrus County, Florida Weight: 30 kilograms/65 pounds Favorite Food: 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 Origin: Duval County, Florida Weight: 77 kilograms/170 pounds Favorite Food: Leafy greens and Squid 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.
Ula Ula Sea Turtle Origin: Clearwater Beach 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 249 WINDWARD PASSAGE CLEARWATER FL 33767 727-441-1790 SEEWINTER.COM