Field Experience at Gumbo Limbo

My Adventure At Gumbo Limbo

By:Cahir

You found me!

Cane is a rescued female sea turtle at Gumbo Limb that lost 60% of her front fins due to unknown reasons, probably a boat or shark attack. Along with her fins she is blind in her right eye. She was in the hospital for a year and has been in Gumbo Limbo for the past seven years.

Due to turtles gender being determined by the temperature, combined with global warming, there are way too many females in the wild. Humans have been polluting, netting, and accidentally boating over sea turtles. To help this, some fishers are switching to special nets that take the fish and leave the turtles.

Turtle net mechanism.

At Gumbo Limbo we saw lots of fish and other sea life. There was a turtle named Nebula who was lethargic and has gas bubbles in her backside so she floated and couldn't swim properly. There was also a turtle named Venus who was hit by a boat and lethargic and also had the same gas bubble problem. In the first tank we saw there was a turtle named Cane who was attacked by a shark and lost 60% of her flippers and got lots of wounds on her shell. In the fourth tank we saw there was a turtle named Morgan who had the gas bubble problem who was wearing a weight vest so she could swim properly.

When we went on the board walk there was lots of banana and golden silk spiders.

I learned that when a turtle has an injury on it's shell the workers at Gumbo Limbo put honey on their wounds to help the wounds heal.

When we went to go see the sea turtles who were injured we saw a lot of turtles who had a gas bubble problem and they couldn't swim properly.

Most attacks to turtles are caused by sharks, boat strikes, and fishing nets.

By: Caden Rogers

Vivi Carraro

Monday, 6th, 4th, and 5th grade went to Gumbo Limbo. We looked at a lot of different animals that live on the water like, fish, sea stars, eels, and a lot of turtles and fun facts about them. We also went to a butterfly garden which to be honest there where more spiders than butterflies. Another thing that we learned is that eels are green because they have a yellow or green mucous to provide protection from parasites and infectious bacteria. It also is easier for them to camouflage so that they can hide in reefs and catch a prey. There was a turtle named Morgan had air bubbles in her shell which wasn't good for her, so because of that she had a weight on her back.

Something I learned that I thought was very interesting is that honey can heal scars on a turtle's shell. Turtles are also starting to be known as endangered, and most part it is because of humans. Mostly because some boaters go over sea turtles on accident, and honey is something that can most of the time fix a turtles scar that was made a boat.

Another thing that happens to turtle's is that, they usually eat a lot of hooks on accident and some end up dying and, others might get surgery and humans end up saving them. Why a lot of places in the world have free plastic environment is because, sea turtles and other sea creatures usually mistake plastic or garbage with food, specially with jellyfish.

Gumbo limbo was so much fun!!

Turtles

♡Lyla♡

We saw a lot of spiders in the butterfly garden walk and while walking to have lunch!! They were pretty big.

I learned that if a turtle has a wound, you can heal it with honey. There was also a turtle named Cane that was sleeping. She is blind in her right eye and she lost 60 percent of her front flippers. The woman showing us said that turtles do not sleep for long.

Graciela Mier

GUMBO LIMBO PROJECT

Butterfly Garden: What I noticed in the butterfly garden was a lot of banana spiders, the weather was very humid and wet. Near shore or (the inter coastal) the water pressure was very high. In the forest there were a lot of dark areas and lots of different exotic plants and flowers.

Aquarium One: There are lots of fish and some fish would swim in circles, fight over lettuce and food, some fish would spy on others, all of the fish had different behaviors and all fish were different. The eel liked to be in the dark and the turtle liked to be in the corners. The catfish liked to swim on the ground and some fish liked to swim in the coral and rocks.

Turtle Aquarium: the baby turtles are very gentle with each other. Baby green turtles tend to go to the ocean first, and loggerhead turtles like to walk around the beach and explore the land first. Turtles that have bubbles in their shells use weights to swim.

Aquarium 2: There is a turtle named Morgan who has a weight and she likes to hide in the ship. sting rays interact with each other well. The fish like to eat cucumbers and big fish like to swim at the top.

Treating: When I was at Gumbo Limbo I learned that honey can treat the shell of the turtle if it gets a scratch, indent, or something that happened to the shell.

Gumbo Limbo field trip notes

by Tori

First we went to the main building. There where not many things there.
The only things that stood out where the giant fish tanks and the turtle rehabilitation facility. There where tortoises as well.
I saw some really cute baby turtles.

In the butterfly garden (more like spider garden), there where more spiders than butterflies. They where golden silk spiders, and they where there to eat the butterflies. I saw only one butterfly though.