TACOMA, Wash. — A 23-year-old, 160-pound sea turtle named Bruno is the newest addition to Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium.
Bruno is an endangered Atlantic Green Sea Turtle, part of a species hunted for their thick skins and massive shells. He was hatched on the Cayman Islands and most recently lived at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Nebraska.
KING 5 got an exclusive look as Bruno underwent a full medical examination ahead of his debut at the aquarium.
Dr. Karen Wolf, the zoo’s head veterinarian, conducted the examination.
“We look at their entire body,” she said. “We look at their eyes. We assess ears. We listen to their heart, look at their skin, and make sure everything’s in good condition.”
Wolf and other veterinary staff checked Bruno’s heart rate using a Doppler machine.
“With sea turtles, you can’t listen to their heart with a stethoscope,” said Wolf. “They just have too much shell, and it’s very hard to hear.”
They also used an ophthalmoscope to check the back and front of his eyes for abnormalities.
Finding none, they moved on to a series of x-rays.
“We’re looking at the integrity of his shell and we’re looking at the integrity of his bones,” said Wolf. Wolf said x-rays of Bruno’s musculoskeletal system showed no abnormalities.
His massive lungs showed no sign of pneumonia, which Wolf said sea turtles are susceptible to. She also said a sea turtle can hold its breath for four to six hours at a time while diving in the water.
Wolf said once he’s on display, Bruno’s presence will help educate aquarium visitors about the threats facing endangered sea turtles.
“Sea turtles across the globe are threatened and endangered,” said Wolf. “People want [the shell] just for ornaments."
Wolf said sea turtles are also killed by fishing gear, plastic in the ocean, and increasingly warming waters due to climate change.
Zoo officials said once the results of Bruno’s blood work clear, he will be featured in the aquarium’s Baja Bay exhibit, alongside two Eastern Pacific sea turtles.