It is with a heavy heart that Sea Turtle Inc shares the loss of our longtime resident of 18 years, Allison, our one flippered Atlantic green sea turtle.
“We are deeply saddened by Allison’s passing. Allison was the epitome of perseverance, grit and strength to overcome. She made a meaningful impact on our staff, volunteers and millions of guests in the last 18 years and she will be greatly missed.” Wendy Knight, Chief Executive Officer, Sea Turtle Inc.
Allison’s care and treatment was groundbreaking as she was one of the first sea turtles to have a prosthetic that allowed her to swim after losing 3 of her 4 flippers. Allison washed up on the beach of South Padre Island on June 16, 2005. She had been attacked by a predator and survived with only one flipper remaining. Concerned about her quality of life, Sea Turtle, Inc. staff , volunteers and interns began researching the possibility of creating a successful prosthesis to help Allison swim. This is one of the first successful sea turtle prosthetic devices in the world. Allison has been featured in People Magazine, PBS, Discovery Channel, and the Today Show!
We want to thank the public for the outpouring of years of love for Allison over the last 18 years. Allison will be deeply missed by staff, interns, volunteers, and everyone who has known of this loveable Atlantic green!
You can share your memories of Allison on our Facebook Memorial Page here: https://fb.me/e/1atCWOHTj
Allison’s Journey
Allison washed up on the beach of South Padre Island on June 16, 2005. She had been attacked by a predator and survived with only one flipper remaining. After successfully rehabilitating from her injuries, she was deemed non-releasable and lived in a shallow water tank– where she was hand fed and mostly swam in circles. Concerned about her quality of life, Sea Turtle, Inc. staff began researching the possibility of creating a successful prosthesis to help Allison swim. Several designs, including a mold of a back flipper, were unsuccessful. In 2009, Sea Turtle, Inc. intern, Tom Wilson, developed the first successful model of Allison’s prosthesis based on the theory of “drag vs. rotation.” This is one of the first successful sea turtle prosthetic devices in the world. Allison has been featured in People Magazine, Discovery Channel, and the Today Show!
Allison’s prosthesis was a long rudder-like fin that provided resistance against the water when she used her remaining front flipper. It underwent many changes since the original model, each improving from the last. The last version was designed to clip onto her shell with the ability to adjust as she grew.
The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia.
Allison was our resilient green sea turtle defied the odds after losing three of her four flippers to a suspected predator attack.
Thanks to innovative thinking and the dedicated efforts of staff, volunteers, and community members, a prosthetic fin was developed, allowing Allison to swim and live her best life at Sea Turtle Inc.
Watch her story and the impact she made in our three-part series.
One of the three primary missions at Sea Turtle, Inc. is rehabilitation. We work hard to rescue and return every sea turtle back to the wild. Proceeds from this adoption will go directly to purchase needed medical supplies, veterinary exams, x-rays, food and general care for our rehab turtles.
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