The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience
By sponsoring the care of sea turtle Pesto, you'll be supporting the Sea Turtle Hospital and the work we do to research, rehab and release these amazing animals. Your sponsorship can provide Pesto important medical supplies, nutritious food, critical exams and other types of care at the Sea Turtle Hospital.
Suggested amount to sponsor the care of a turtle is $50. We appreciate gifts above $50 as well. For joining us, you'll receive a personalized certificate and choice to have it mailed to your home or emailed.
Please allow 2 weeks for mailed certificate to arrive. Emailed certificates sent within 2-3 business days.
For questions about sponsoring, please contact wlmb@whitney.ufl.edu.
Pesto is no longer available for sponsoring.
Loves Green Peppers!
Pesto is a juvenile green sea turtle found in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. She was originally brought to Volusia Marine Science Center and then transferred to the Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Laboratory. Once she arrived we immediately transported her to Precision Imaging for CT followed by emergency surgery to remove her flipper which was severely damaged from monofilament (fishing line) entanglement. Pesto’s flipper was tightly wrapped in fishing line, which cut off blood flow to that flipper. Because of this, we had to amputate her flipper to prevent the infection from spreading.
Pesto is our smallest turtle and loves green peppers! She was recently examined to look for internal tumors and she does not appear to have any. Pesto will need at least three additional surgeries to remove existing tumors before being "tumor free" and considered for release.