Growths on turtles?

[Frank O]

I noticed while doing some shallow freediving around Black Rock on Maui this morning that a couple of the turtles I ran across had growths or something on their faces (and, in the case of one turtle, at the base of one forward flipper). This looked like billowy light-colored tissue, at least from a distance slightly resembling a cauliflower head. I'm sorry I didn't have my camera with me, and didn't get too close. Is this condition common? They didn't look like parasites such as isopods that I've seen on fish in the past.

Apart from this, I have to say it was great fun hearing a dense mix of whale calls or songs every time I was underwater -- faint on the surface, but quite loud when I descended to the bottom at 30-35 feet.

 

[Sloth]

Its a herpes virus that is decimating the green sea turtles. The warts aren't deadly by themselves but the growths around the eyes and throat lead to vision and breathing problems which become fatal. It's sad when you see the young adults with a growth starting.

 

[Frank O]

Thanks, with that keyword I see some prior discussion of fibropapilloma. Very sad!

 

[Shaka Doug]

It's really bad on some turtles. Very sad to observe. They (the fibropapillomatosis growths) can lead to a very long and slow death by starvation. I have been seeing less of it lately on the turtles in Wailea and Makena. There was a while, a few years ago, when it seemed like more of them had it really bad (perhaps they have died?).

The condition is known worldwide, not just here on Maui but apparently not very common on the Big Island. I wish there was something we could do as divers to help them out. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[DiveWestOahu]

another good reason to "not touch turtles",,,, try to explain to your significant other that you got herpes from a turtle,,,, ya right

 

[DiveWestOahu]

there has been for the last 3 years a team of scientists here from Switzerland that have come up with an anti-virus that is 100% effective treatment for the lumps, although you have to catch the turtles, remove the tumors and then treat them

 

[Black_3000psi]

the sadest part is that the turtle most likely got the herpies from a human touching it.maybe not but theres so much junk in the water these days theres no telling how it started affecting them. is there a recorded time line on the earliest cases? it does look very painful.

 

[Sloth]

Other then through mating I heard from a researcher that they suspect that cleaner fish could be acting as carriers.

To your point PSI I also wonder if man made causes like pollutants might be making turtles more susceptible. Supposedly the juveniles in the outer islands don't have it and they only seem to get it when they reach the main Hawaiian islands.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

the sadest part is that the turtle most likely got the herpies from a human touching it.maybe not but theres so much junk in the water these days theres no telling how it started affecting them. is there a recorded time line on the earliest cases? it does look very painful.

I think that if you searched the web to try to find ONE web page to back this silly claim, you would find numerous web pages that inform you that this is a silly claim and the turtle virus has no relationship with human touching!

 

[smellzlikefish]

"there has been for the last 3 years a team of scientists here from Switzerland that have come up with an anti-virus that is 100% effective treatment for the lumps, although you have to catch the turtles, remove the tumors and then treat them"

How many green sea turtles do they have in Switzerland?