Sponsor the Care of Skyros

By sponsoring the care of sea turtle Skyros 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 Skyros important medical supplies, nutritious food, critical exams and other types of care provided while 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
• A monthly email update
• Advance notice of the turtle’s release (attendance at release not guaranteed)

You can even give a turtle sponsorship as a gift!

Please allow 2 weeks for mailed certificate to arrive. Emailed certificates sent within 3-4 business days. 

For questions about sponsoring, please contact wlmb@whitney.ufl.edu.

SPONSOR SKYROS

Skyros' Story

Meet Skyros, a juvenile green sea turtle and our 177th patient of the year. Skyros was discovered tucked between the rocks of the Ponce Inlet Jetty at low tide and was safely transported to our hospital thanks to the quick thinking and sharp eyes of their rescuers.

During intake, our animal care technicians noted that Skyros had no visible injuries—no bleeding, scratches, or shell damage. Although lethargic, Skyros was alert and responsive, with a moderate load of fibropapillomatosis (FP) tumors, a common virus that affects green sea turtles. Encouragingly, bloodwork came back stable, and x-rays showed no concerning abnormalities, giving us a solid foundation to begin treatment.

Skyros quickly adjusted to life in a rehab tank and has been eating seafood readily, a great early sign of recovery. Despite their initial fatigue, they quickly won over our team with their bubbly—though sometimes jumpy—personality, often splashing in surprise when startled!

In the early stages of rehab, we routinely check patient fecals for internal parasites. Fecal testing revealed the presence of Caryospora, a highly transmissible parasite commonly found in juvenile green sea turtles. Fortunately, it was caught early, and Skyros is currently undergoing a deworming treatment regimen. We’ll continue to monitor their progress and recheck fecals in the coming weeks to ensure the parasite is fully eliminated.

As part of our standard protocol for FP patients, Skyros received a full-body CT scan at Precision Imaging Center in St. Augustine. Our veterinarian, Dr. Brooke, carefully reviews these scans to check for internal tumors, pneumonia, or other hidden issues that may not show up on an external exam. Luckily those images were within normal limits and the plans for FP tumor removal surgery are on the schedule.

Thanks to your support, turtles like Skyros receive the expert care, diagnostics, nutrition, and compassion they need to make their journey back to the wild. We’re excited to follow their progress and will keep you updated as she continues to heal and grow stronger each day.