04/18/2017  Animal was accidentally hooked on her beak by some fisherman at Sharky's Pier in Venice.  Mote staff responded and were able to get the animal to shore and transported it to Mote for further diagnostics.  Radiographs revealed an internal fishing hook as well.  Turtle has an old healing boat strike fracture to the carapace and is anemic.  Rachael was given subcutaneous fluids and placed in a pool at low water level.

04/20/2017  Rachael ate off feeding tongs when offered clam and squid today.

04/27/2017  Rachael is foraging all food types offered.  Increased pool depth to half full.  Started on oral antibiotics due to wounds secondary to ingested fishing hooks.

05/02/2017  Due to anemia, oral iron supplementation was initiated as part of treatment protocol.  

05/18/2017  Animal's tank is now at full adepth.  Rachael is actively swimming throughout the today and foraging all food offered very well.  Animal coninues to receive oral antibiotics, calcium, and iron supllements stuffed in her fish.

06/03/2017  Rachael's blood work is slowly improving.  Continuing to monitor the smaller ingested fishing hook to see if it will pass on its own.

07/03/2017  Animal's white blood cell count has decreased to a more normal level, so antibiotics were discontinued.  Also, anemia is much improved so oral iron supplementation was also discontinued.

07/24/2017  Rachael was released today at Lido Beach by Mote interns and staff!