More than 500 people gathered at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park on Tuesday morning to witness eight rehabilitated sea turtles return to the Gulf in what was the largest single release this season for the Gulfarium CARE Center.

• Under clear skies, the diverse group of patients ranged in size, age and species — all successfully treated and medically cleared for release by the facility’s animal care team.

“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 returnees was Colter, a robust adult male Kemp’s ridley sea turtle from the critically endangered species. Because of his significance, Colter was fitted with a satellite tag through a partnership with the United States Geological Survey and Mote Marine Laboratory. Tracking his journey will provide critical data for ongoing research into Kemp’s ridley movements and behavior.

The release also included Kora, a subadult loggerhead and repeat visitor to the CARE Center who arrived with multiple internal hooks. Two were removed non-surgically and the third passed naturally. Milton, another subadult loggerhead, was found in excellent condition with only a minor hook injury to the flipper. 

Zelda, a 132-pound loggerhead, had multiple hooks across her flippers, neck and mouth, all of which were removed successfully during her 10-day stay. Kai Koi, a subadult Kemp’s ridley, was cleared for release after four days in care following the removal of several hook fragments.

• Gamora, a juvenile green sea turtle, came in with a hook that had extended through her mouth and into her eyelid. After medical treatment and careful monitoring, she was found to have no permanent damage and cleared for release.

Rounding out the group were Maple and Beatrice, two small juvenile Kemp’s ridleys weighing under 4 pounds each. Both were treated for minor hook injuries and made speedy recoveries before being cleared to return to the Gulf.

The Gulfarium CARE Center encourages anyone who encounters an injured or stranded sea turtle to report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC.

The public can follow the CARE Center on Facebook to stay informed on future turtle releases and ongoing rehabilitation stories. All CARE Center patients can be visited with general admission to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park.