Eight Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Released Back into the Gulf

In Brief:

🐢 Eight rehabilitated sea turtles returned to the Gulf of Mexico in a public release at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on June 17. The Gulfarium CARE Center, which treated the turtles, drew a crowd of over 500 for the event.

An estimated crowd of more than 500 people gathered Tuesday morning at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park to watch eight sea turtles return to the Gulf of Mexico after receiving treatment at the Gulfarium CARE Center.

This release of medically cleared turtles is one of the largest for the CARE Center this year. The Gulfarium’s animal care team works to prepare the turtles for return to their natural habitat. The group included a rare mix of species and sizes.

“The energy from the crowd today was incredible,” said Tabitha Siegfried, Stranding Coordinator for the CARE Center. “It’s not every day we get to release this many turtles at once and to see so many people show up to cheer them on was truly heartwarming.”

Among the eight turtles released was Colter, an adult male Kemp’s ridley turtle, one of the world’s most endangered sea turtle species. The Gulfarium CARE Center fitted Colter with a satellite tracker in partnership with the United States Geological Survey and Mote Marine Laboratory. Researchers will use data from the tracker to study the species’ movement patterns and behavior in the wild.

The release also included:

Kora, a loggerhead and repeat patient, treated for three internal fishing hooks.
Milton, a loggerhead with a minor hook injury to his flipper.
Zelda, a 132-pound loggerhead with multiple hook injuries around her head and limbs.
Kai Koi, a subadult Kemp’s ridley, treated for embedded hook fragments.
Gamora, a juvenile green sea turtle with a hook injury through her mouth and eyelid.
Maple and Beatrice, two juvenile Kemp’s ridleys, each weighing less than four pounds and treated for minor hook wounds.

The Center cleared each turtle after providing individualized care and monitoring.

The Gulfarium CARE Center, located at Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, treats and rehabilitates injured sea turtles before returning them to the wild. Members of the public can see CARE Center patients during regular park visits. The Center encourages anyone who finds an injured or stranded sea turtle to report it by calling the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC.

The Gulfarium CARE Foundation supports the Center’s mission of rescue, education, and research. Donations can be made online through the Gulfarium CARE Center website or Amazon Wishlist.