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Sea turtle release attracts crowds Monday

Sea turtle release attracts crowds Monday

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Featured, Outdoors, Sea turtles.

BRADENTON BEACH – To the delight of hundreds of spectators at Coquina Beach this morning for a publicized turtle release, loggerhead sea turtle Henrietta stopped several times as she made her way down the sand toward the water.

Once she hit the Gulf of Mexico, cheers erupted among onlookers as she took off swimming.

Commenting on the turtle’s slow walk to the water, one spectator said, “She’s tired because she just had babies.”

Henrietta was chosen for the release after having laid a nest on the beach on Saturday night.

The turtle release was sponsored by the Sea Turtle Conservancy, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring and Hurricane Hanks.

Henrietta’s name (the female version of Henry) was chosen by Hurricane Hank’s owner, Brian Mathae.

She was outfitted with a satellite monitor and will be tracked by the Sea Turtle Conservancy in the annual Tour de Turtles race. Scheduled to begin on Aug. 1, Tour de Turtles will track individual sea turtles for approximately three months as they leave their respective nesting beaches and race to complete a “marathon.”

The competitors will swim with the goal of being the turtle to swim the furthest distance during the migration marathon.

“Research into the behavior and life cycle of marine turtles has taught us that these creatures do not generally nest and feed in the same area. We now know that sea turtles are highly migratory, often traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles between the beaches where they lay their eggs and the foraging (feeding) grounds where they spend much of their time at sea,” according to the Tour de Turtles website. “Since most research conducted on marine turtles has been carried out on nesting beaches and well over 90% of a sea turtle’s life is spent in the water, feeding, mating, migrating and doing whatever else a sea turtle does when no one is watching, we are missing important information that can help us better protect sea turtles.”

The results of the Tour de Turtles race will be posted at: https://tourdeturtles.org/

The Sun will be monitoring Henrietta’s progress and her results will be posted weekly on The Sun Facebook page.

Sea Turtle Conservancy to release turtle

Sea Turtle Conservancy to release turtle

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

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.

Loggerheads released after recovering from red tide

Loggerheads released after recovering from red tide

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA – In a cooperative effort between Mote Marine Laboratory and The Florida Aquarium, two loggerhead sea turtles were released at Bayfront Park on May 30 after months of care and rehabilitation for the effects of red tide toxin.

“We are proud to collaborate with The Florida Aquarium in our shared mission to rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles,” Mote’s Rehabilitation and Medical Care Coordinator Lynne Byrd said in a press release. “By combining our expertise and resources, we can provide these magnificent creatures with the best possible care, ensuring their recovery and return to the big blue.”

The two rescued loggerhead sea turtles were nicknamed Valerie and Mahomes. Valerie was discovered floating nearshore off Longboat Key on Feb. 21. She appeared to have been affected by toxins from red tide, a waterborne algae that also can affect human respiration. She was transported to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital in Sarasota and began receiving injectable antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids until symptoms improved.

When Valerie arrived at the hospital, Mote scientists found that she already had a flipper tag and a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag. The PIT tag, placed by Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program in 2019, gave the turtle a unique barcode identification number that allowed scientists to gain valuable insights into her migratory patterns, growth rates, survival and reproductive output, according to Mote.
Mahomes was found washed ashore off Casey Key Road in Sarasota County and also showed symptoms of red tide toxicity.

Initially admitted to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital on Feb. 13, Mahomes was later transferred to The Florida Aquarium Turtle Rehabilitation Center on Feb. 24 to better prepare Mote for what they anticipated to be high numbers of incoming sea turtle patients affected by toxic red tide exposure.

Mahomes received antibiotics and supportive care during the course of rehabilitation to help rid the sea turtle’s body of toxins.

Before the release, Mahomes was outfitted with a satellite tag by The Florida Aquarium and the Sea Turtle Conservancy.

“These tags provide critically important information about diving, feeding, migratory and activity patterns all while recording corresponding environmental data such as water temperatures. This data will help better understand the patient’s behavior after reintroduction and provides key insight for future rehabilitation and conservation efforts,” according to Mote.

Following their months of care, the loggerheads successfully cleared all health assessments mandated by wildlife officials for release.
“Every turtle matters, as they serve as ambassadors for the critical need to protect and conserve these creatures and the habitats they rely on,” Byrd said in the release. “Every rehabilitated sea turtle is a symbol of hope for the future of our oceans.”

Within Sarasota or Manatee county waters, if you see a stranded or dead sea turtle, dolphin or whale, please call Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program, a 24-hour response service, at 941-988-0212.

If you see a stranded or dead manatee anywhere in state waters or a stranded or dead sea turtle, dolphin or whale outside of Sarasota or Manatee counties, please call the FWC Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).