02/22/2023  Turtle was found washed ashore on the beach at the north end of Don Pedro Island, Charlotte County.   Suspect red tide toxicity.  Animal was transported to Mote for rehabilitation.  Animal is currently dry-docked due to likely red tide neurotoxicity and extreme lethargy.  Will receive subcutaneous fluids daily to help flush out toxins until behavior improves and "Palmer" starts eating.

02/24/2023  Palmer passed her swim test today, so is now in a rehab. pool in very shallow water.  Turtle defecated some shellfish today, indicating it had recently been eating prior to stranding.  She has not shown any interest in food yet, so will be given subcutaneous fluids and injectable antibiotics until eating. 

02/26/2023  Palmer ate a small amount of seafood today!

03/01/2023  Palmer has started to forage for seafood on her own slowly.  She is still very lethargic, so the depth of her tank has only been increased slightly.

03/10/2023  Palmer is eating well and is very alert.  Tank depth is being slowly increased a couple inches every few days as turtle is becoming more active.

03/17/2023  Turtle is now very alert and active, so Palmer's tank depth was raised to full.  Palmer continues to eat well.  Was switched from an injectable antibiotic to an oral antibiotic  to minimize stress from handling.