ST. LOUIS — A rescue turtle named Tsunami is the newest resident at the St. Louis Aquarium.
Tsunami came from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and arrived at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport Tuesday afternoon.
Once he is settled in, Tsunami will live in the aquarium's Shark Canyon habitat.
Tsunami is a Green Sea Turtle, weighing about 66 pounds. He arrived at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on July 18, 2017, with injuries to the left side of the head behind the eye, according to a press release from the aquarium.
The turtle was a critical patient at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. He needed tube feeding and wound care. By September 2017, Tsunami started showing interest in food; and by October he was able to eat on his own.
Tsunami had jaw therapy and electro-acupuncture therapy to help stimulate jaw movement due to the injury. He has done well and continues to use his jaw with weekly therapy.
The turtle likes to eat lettuce, cucumbers and peppers. Tsunami is being re-homed to the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station where he is expected to do well in a large tank with the professional animal care team that will be able to continue his jaw therapy as needed, the release said.
Tsunami is being transported through an organization called Turtles Fly Too, which coordinates and facilitates relocation efforts worldwide, the release said. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other organizations call on Turtles Fly Too to provide air transportation when endangered species are threatened or injured. These general aviation pilots, called “Turtle Fliers,” donate their expertise, aircraft, fuel, and labor to provide air transportation to shorten travel time and reduce stress on these endangered species.
