2/25/2010  This turtle was found floating in the channel by Sarasota Dolphin Research Program staff.  The turtle has multiple large papilloma tumors on the soft tissues and eyes.    3/1  Turtle is now eating well, but has an elevated white blood cell count — turtle is on antibiotics to counter possible infection or pneumonia.  Red blood cell count is still too low for surgery.  3/21  Hayley is doing well in a tank with Bob Marley, another small pap turtle.  Appetite is great, and red blood cell count is rebounding, so will consider surgery to remove the tumors in the near future.  3/27  Turtle continues to do well.  Right eye will most likely need to be removed due to extensive papilloma involvement, but as long as turtle retains vision in the other eye, release is possible.  Planning for surgery in about two weeks.  4/15  Hayley had surgery this past weekend to remove multiple papilloma tumors, as well as the compromised right eye. Turtle recovered well from the anesthesia, but took several days to regain her appetite.  Hayley has been eating fairly well for the first time today.  There is still a watertight bandage over the right eye socket, which will be removed this weekend as long as everything is looking good.  Turtle remains on antibiotics.  4/24  Bandage/eye patch has been removed, and there is no bleeding or sign of infection.  Hayley is recovering well, and generally eating all of her meals.  5/6  Hayley is eating great, and the eye socket appears to be healing well.  Sea turtles tend not to do well with stiches or attempts to close the eyelids with this type of surgery, so the socket has been left open to heal on its own.  It looks a bit gruesome now, but will heal over nicely in time.   5/23 The turtle's eye socket is healing extremely well and is almost covered with a new layer of skin.  Other surgery wounds are almost completely healed as well.  Hayley continues to eat well and maneuver around her tank normally. 6/8  Hayley is healing very well, eating and acting normally.  Turtle has been moved into a much larger rehabilitation tank to encourage foraging and practice for life in the wild with one eye.  Hayley seems very comfortable in this tank and should be a good candidate for release. 6/22 Hayley continues to eat well in the larger tank.  Hayley is getting along well with her tank mate, Bob Marley.  The hope is to be able to release both turtles in the near future. 7/24 Turtle is doing extremely well.  As soon as the surgery site is completely healed this animal will be released. 9/7 Hayley has recovered beautifully from her eye and papilloma surgery.  The eye socket still is not completely healed, but the site continues to improve. 10/1 Eye socket continues to heal and hopefully we will be able to apply for release in a couple weeks. 10/8 Hayley was released back to the water today off of City Island! Click here for more details about the release.