Following her visit to the annual sea turtle workshop, held at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida, local veterinarian Dr Brenda Bush praised the programme saying offered her knowledge and experience that will prove vital in future injured turtle cases.

The workshop’s main message was that sea turtles act like sentinels for humans, because what affects them – such as toxic waste contamination, red tides, and global warming – eventually will affect all of us, Dr Bush said.

The two-day session, which focused on the rescue, rehabilitation and treatment of sea turtles in captivity, brought together vets from around the region. Presentations of medical and surgical techniques, as well as a hands-on wet lab, gave each participant valuable experience in the areas of marine turtle anaesthesia, sedation, physiology and anatomy.

Knowledge gained from the workshop will be used in tending to sea turtles injured in their natural habitat, of which there are quite a few cases in Cayman each year, according to Dr Bush. In most local cases the Department of Environment, the National Trust and Dr Bush collaborate to provide care; Dr Bush who accepts injured sea turtles in her veterinary clinic when they have no other refuge, she said.

The Cayman community – especially fishermen, who often bring in sea turtles that have ingested fish hooks – has shown increased awareness of how to handle injured ones.

This year saw five brought in for treatment, most of which were saved and returned to the wild.

Dr Bush’s participation in the workshop was sponsored by the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST), and coordinated through the Department of Environment (DoE).