Nothing Slow About Sea Turtle, Inc

THERE’S NOTHING SLOW ABOUT

SEA TURTLE, INC.

By Dr. Kimberly Selber

Wendy Knight, STI Chief Excecutive Officer and Mark Grant, Spouse and STI volunteer Everything about Wendy Knight is fast. She talks fast, moves fast, and expects the rest of us to keep up. The twoyear veteran chief executive officer of Sea Turtle, Inc. is focused on the future.

“We [Sea Turtle, Inc.] evolved from a scrappy backyard rescue effort over 40 years ago,” Knight said. “Today we are the single largest sea turtle hospital in the world, the only facility with a dedicated CT scanner, and the only research lab dedicated to sea turtles.”

With the credentials, experience, and the innovation to solve problems, Sea Turtle, Inc. is a pioneer and leader in the field.

“We’re walking fast. We’re helping others walk fast, too,” Knight stated. “There are lots of other rescue centers around the world, but most are where we were 40 years ago. Now, we want to help them. We want to do more.”

ALLISON’S STORY

SEA TURTLE, INC.

When she arrived 2014 Allison Current day Allison

Allison, an Atlantic Green sea turtle, is a true example that illustrates what Sea Turtle, Inc. has learned and is turning out to the world.

In 2005, Allison, who fit in the palm of your hand, was likely attacked by a shark, leaving her with only one flipper. Rescued and rehabilitated at Sea Turtle, Inc., Allison became a special patient. With only one flipper, the tiny patient was unreleasable and had to live in a shallow tank and be hand-fed. “She couldn’t dive for food or surface for air by herself,” Knight recalled. An intern wondered if they could make a prosthetic for Allison to help her be more self-sufficient. What developed from that first musing was a removable prosthetic, a titanium fin.

“Allison can now do what other turtles can do; it just looks different. She is differently-abled,” Knight reflected.

And now, in collaboration with The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Noe Vargas and his senior design students, along with a multidisciplinary team of UTRGV students belonging to the Engineering Without Borders organization, from both engineering and the sciences are tackling improving Allison’s prosthetic. They are developing prototype concepts to explore new design options for Allison and others like her through an engineering analysis using Computer Fluid Dynamics to improve the fin swimming performance.

“Imagine, possibly 3D printing a customized prosthetic and shipping it out within days,” Knight said. “This is a game-changer for us. But it is not about the benefit of having the technology; it is the benefit of giving it away and helping others.”

MUST SEE Visit Sea Turtle Inc. at South Padre Island

THE PAST TEN YEARS

Rehabilitated 593 Sea Turtles

Protected 655 nesting females Released 49,705 baby hatchlings into the Gulf of Mexico

Treated 7,438 cold-stunned turtles Average 250,000 visitors a year Patrol, on average, 34,000 miles per year Patrol, on average, 3,785 hours Patients are at the hospital, on average, 76 days before they are healthy enough to release

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

With your help, we continue to do the work of protecting, rescuing, and rehabilitating sea turtles . You can contribute to the direct costs of medical care, food, vitamins, and surgery for our residents and patients in a number of ways .

Ceremonial adoption: Hatchlings, Nests, Patients, or Residents ($30 - $180)

Direct tax-deductible donation

Donation to our Capital Campaign to renovate our facility (sponsorships available)