Endangered sea turtle who wears a vest to swim finds a home at Dallas Children’s Aquarium

An endangered sea turtle from South Carolina now calls a Texas aquarium home after concerted efforts by veterinarians and conservation groups to ensure its care and long-term survival.

Howlite, a loggerhead sea turtle who wears a special vest to swim, landed in Texas on Nov. 6 by way of a nonprofit called Turtles Fly Too, which specializes in relocating sea turtles via airplane. The turtle arrived in a small two-person private jet at Denton Enterprise Airport.

After staying in the medical bay for a few days, Howlite joined the outdoor exhibit at the Dallas Children’s Aquarium in Fair Park on Friday. The DCA is considered Texas’ oldest aquarium, opening its doors in 1936 as part of the state’s centennial exposition, according to its website.

“It’s an old, historic home for the turtle, and we’re proud,” said Bree Kramer, co-director of the aquarium. “It’s something really cool to bring to the community.”

The turtle’s arrival in Texas began with fishermen in South Carolina and their crab bait.

Two years ago, fishermen brought the turtle to the South Carolina Aquarium after it swallowed a fishing hook with crab as bait, according to the KXAS-TV (NBC5). Aquarium staff soon realized the turtle had sustained spinal injuries and could not swim effectively.

It turned out Howlite had been previously struck by a boat and spent the next few years rehabilitating at the South Carolina Aquarium.

“It has limited mobility in its back flippers, so it’s not able to swim correctly,” Kramer explained. “What happens is that it bobs at the surface, kind of like a buoy.”

Many sea turtles who get injured suffer from positive buoyancy syndrome, colloquially known as “bubble butt” syndrome, which results in trapped air pockets in their outer shells, according to The Turtle Hospital.

In order to help Howlite swim and live a normal life, the aquarium team created a special weighted wetsuit that includes pockets for staff to add or remove weights.

“There’s just something about its custom little backpack vest that makes it stand out,” Kramer said.

Howlite is one of many sea turtles facing possible extinction because of human-produced pollution. Many turtles mistake floating plastic trash for jellyfish, their food source, causing them to choke and sometimes die. Sea turtles also suffer from poaching, over-exploitation and habitat loss, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

After two years of receiving specialized medical treatment, the South Carolina team decided it was time for Howlite to move on to a forever home, and the DCA came up as an option. Loggerhead sea turtles typically do not remain under human care and get released back into the ocean, but Howlite’s condition means the turtle will spend its life in an aquarium.

“This is definitely an opportunity to educate folks about why it’s important to preserve the oceans and their wildlife,” Kramer said.

She added Howlite’s arrival marked a major milestone for the aquarium, which had “gone downhill over the past few years.” The aquarium changed management two years ago after being run by the Dallas Zoo during the start of the pandemic.

“It’s really exciting that we’ve been able to bring in new animals to be able to educate and provide entertainment for folks in the metroplex,” she said.

Thanks to the help of biologists and aquarium staff, young Howlite now will be able to live a long life, she said. Sea turtles can live up to 80 years.