Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center undergoes a major expansion

With $160,000 coming from both private and public donors, the expansion brings three 18-foot long dividable tanks, one 8-foot round dividable tank, a therapy pool, and new 'life support systems,' which filter water continuously.

PENDER COUNTY (WWAY) –New structural additions have arrived at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center — in Surf City. Volunteers took turns ripping off paper, showcasing the new sea turtle sick bay. In the back of Karen Beasley’s Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, there is an upgrade, increasing capacity and care for sick or injured sea turtles. Executive Director of the rescue center, Kathy Zagzebski explains.

“For years, in this room, we’ve only had one filter pool that we used for exercise, for the turtle, and many of our turtles come in what you call dump and fill tanks. We had to dump them and fill them three times a day at least,” Zagzebski said.

With $160,000 coming from both private and public donors, the expansion brings three 18-foot long dividable tanks, one 8-foot round dividable tank, a therapy pool, and new ‘life support systems,’ which filter water continuously.

“Our core mission is to serve and protect sea turtles. We monitor the beaches of Topsail Island and protect nesting female turtles and we accept turtles from elsewhere. We rehabilitate them to return them to the wild,” Zagzebski said.

There was a gigantic beauty that was a show-stopper. Weighing at 320 pounds, meet Snookie – and be careful. She’s a splasher.

We got to see what it looked like before and after and they’ve done an incredible amount of work that is going to really benefit the turtles,” a volunteer shared.

Snookie is an adult female Loggerhead turtle.

“She was stranded in 2016 in New Jersey. At the time she suffered from some blunt force trauma, but there were no visible injuries. Once she got her, we realized what she was doing now. She’s floating. So, she can’t dive. I like to describe her as a Jersey girl tempered with Southern charm,” Zagzebski explained.

It was a moment many got to enjoy and hopefully, the sea turtles did too. The rescue center currently has 28 turtles getting care. However, the new facility can hold up to 31 sea turtles.