A young sea turtle left too weak to swim after being hit by a boat is rebuilding its strength in a custom harness that its rescuers 3D-printed just for it.
Cebu, a juvenile green sea turtle, is being treated at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island for spinal cord trauma caused by a boat strike.
In the first weeks, the injury left the turtle unable to do the one thing sea turtles are built for.
“Cebu was initially so weak that they could not safely swim in a tank at a normal water depth and spent an extended period in very shallow water,” Jaynie L. Gaskin, the center’s director, told Popular Science.
As Cebu grew stronger, the veterinary team wanted to move physical therapy into deeper water, where normal flipper movements could help rebuild strength and mobility. Doing that safely meant keeping the turtle afloat without stopping its flippers from working.
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The center had made harnesses for patients before, but nothing off the shelf would fit. Its conservation team has 3D-printing capabilities, so the vets and conservation staff worked together to design one specifically for Cebu, holding the turtle up while leaving its flippers free to move naturally.
Cebu is also having stem cell therapy to help repair damaged tissue. About a month after the second treatment, the team watched the turtle have its best physical therapy session yet.
Gaskin is careful not to promise too much.
“There is still a long way to go before we know whether release will be possible. At this point, Cebu’s prognosis remains guarded, but we are encouraged by the progress we are beginning to see,” she said.
