Sea Tow captain rescues struggling tern
By Joanna Fitzgerald | Director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital

A royal tern was among the 50 animals admitted to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida this past week.
The royal tern was seen being pulled out by the tide in Gordon Pass. The tern was obviously struggling; fortunately Sea Tow Captain Sam Castleberry recognized the tern needed immediate help and rescued the bird.
Castleberry safely delivered the royal tern to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital after staff at Hamilton Harbor provided a plastic container to secure the royal tern for transport.
A full physical exam showed no external injuries or signs of having aspirated salt water during the struggle. The royal tern was water logged and exhausted so hospital staff placed the bird in an animal intensive care unit to rest. Once stable, a radiograph was taken and revealed the tern had ingested a rather large fish. Possibly the tern’s “eyes were bigger than its stomach” so to speak and the bird was at a disadvantage while digesting such a large meal.
Oral electrolytes, Chinese herbs and an injectable vitamin supplement were administered with the instructions that no food was to be offered until the fish had been digested. The following day diagnostic tests confirmed the tern had a high load of internal parasites which required medication. The tern showed signs of increased respiratory effort so an anti-fungal medication was added to the treatment plan as well.
The tern continues to show slight improvement while recovering in the bird room. Treatment includes water therapy, medications twice daily and three supplemental feedings per day.
Captain Castleberry’s job working with Sea Tow has put him in a position of wildlife rescuer on numerous occasions.
The week prior to the royal tern rescue, Castleberry saw a gopher tortoise in distress, treading water in the channel off Keywadin Island. His quick thinking and willingness to get involved saved the tortoise.
Castleberry has rescued fishing line entangled pelicans on multiple occasions as well.
What You Can Do
For the majority of instances when people encounter wild animals they believe are in distress, I recommend calling the wildlife hospital prior to taking action. There are cases, such as the ones previously described, where immediate action is required because the animal is in imminent danger of further injury or death.
If you find an animal in imminent danger, please offer immediate assistance if possible. Once the animal is safely contained call the wildlife hospital at 239.262.CARE.
Hospital staff can provide advice while keeping the needs of the animal as the top priority.
Recent Releases
A red-tailed hawk, six eastern cottontails, two Florida softshell turtles, a great horned owl, four blue jays, two brown pelicans, three Virginia opossums, seven raccoons, four mourning doves, a red-bellied woodpecker, four northern mockingbirds, a common nighthawk, a striped mud turtle, a Florida red-bellied turtle, a mottled duck, three American crows, a double-crested cormorant, and a gopher tortoise were released this past week.
Opportunities to Help
Please visit the Conservancy website at www.conservancy.org to view all of the amazing volunteer opportunities at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Your volunteer time, memberships and donations are vital in helping us continue our work to protect Southwest Florida’s water, land, wildlife and future.
