131 loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings were released into the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday morning. The Gulfarium CARE Center teamed up with Benthic Ocean Sports to set out on a long offshore boat ride to find weedlines to release the turtles.
These hatchlings arrived at the C.A.R.E. Center following the severe weather caused by Hurricane Ida.
“Because of Hurricane Ida, we were actually housing 133 loggerhead hatchlings,” said Tabitha Siegfried, CARE Center Stranding Coordinator. “After a 24-hour period of having hatchlings in rehab, we have to do an offshore release. So we’ll take them on a boat, find what’s called a weedline or a patch of Sargassum, and then we’ll drop them there.”
According to Siegfried, that’s where the hatchlings would be naturally found if they were to hatch and crawl out there themselves.
Dig Deeper: The City of Destin has ordered over 500 flashlights to help protect the sea turtles by making these red-hue flashlights free to the public.
City of Destin orders hundreds of flashlights to help protect Sea Turtles
For the sea turtles during nesting season, from May through October, the right type of flashlight to use is one with a red hue.
