Earth Day 2008
Earth Day Celebration was held at Bahia Honda State Park on April 12, 2008. The Turtle Hospital set up an informational / educational exhibit and would like to thank everyone that stopped by.
BRANDY a 342 pound adult Green Sea Turtle was transported back to the Marquesas Keys area (aprox 40 miles West of KeyWest) where she had been rescued in July 2007. (See archives Feb 2008 for rescue details). This was the largest Sea Turtle ever rehabilitated at the Turtle Hospital and provided some logistical challenges due to her size and weight. Staff used a hydraulic lift to get her out of the tank and into the ambulance.
The US Coast Guard based in Key West provided a 55 foot vessel equipped with a crane which was used to move the turtle from the ambulance on to the boat.
A film crew from the Discovery Channel participated and used a second Coast Guard vessel to film the actual release.
Everyone involved was please to see Brandy swimming away in a straight line even with a missing front flipper. It was great to get her back to the same spot where rescued, just in time for mating / nesting season.
KYLE (April 6,2008)
Local Marathon residents Brenda and Kyle Staley were enjoying Coco Plum Beach with their dogs when Kyle discovered a juvenile Green Sea Turtle buried in sea weed on the shore.
The small turtle was entangled in a mesh plastic bag and had strands of the material wrapped around it’s neck and both front flippers.
The plastic had cut into the flippers but the turtle is very strong and is expected to make a full recovery. Thanks to Kyle’s attentiveness, this endangered turtle was saved.
Update June 15, 2008
Kyle has been successfully rehabilitated and was released aprox 6 miles off of Key West. The young turtle was placed in a large patch of Sargassum seaweed which is where Green Sea Turtles spend their early years.