ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The Sea Turtle Conservancy plans to release a satellite-tagged loggerhead sea turtle after it nests on Anna Maria Island as part of the annual Tour de Turtles event.
The release is scheduled on Monday, June 24 at 8:30 a.m. with a backup date of Tuesday, June 25, depending on when a turtle nests. The location will be announced on the morning of the release on the Sea Turtle Conservancy Facebook page and its website at https://conserveturtles.org/.
Attendees are encouraged to come early to see the nesting turtle and talk to the turtle team. In previous years, the release has taken place on Coquina Beach.
The Conservancy is partnering with Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring and Hurricane Hanks for the release.
The Tour de Turtles follows the migration of sea turtles from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds from the time of their release until the end of October, the end of turtle nesting season.
The launch of the Tour de Turtles corresponds with World Sea Turtle Day on June 16, the birthdate of Conservancy founder Dr. Archie Carr.