37 Baby Sea Turtles Released into the Ocean in Florida

Endangered hatchlings rescued by the home of Winter the rescued dolphin from the Dolphin Tale movies

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Nov 09, 2018, 17:51 ET

CLEARWATER, Fla., Nov. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 37 rescued loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings were released into the ocean on Fri., Nov. 9, off the Florida coast thanks to the rescue and rehabilitation efforts of Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA). CMA is famously home to Winter the rescued dolphin featured in Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2. CMA, a working marine animal hospital, has released a total of 179 sea turtles this year. The baby sea turtles were all rescued after failing to make it to the ocean after they hatched from their nests. Some became disoriented after emerging from their nest and crawled away from the water, ending up in pools, parking lots and other dangerous areas.

37 rescued loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings were released on Fri., Nov. 9, off the Florida coast thanks to the rescue and rehabilitation efforts of Clearwater Marine Aquarium. All marine turtle footage taken in Florida was obtained with the approval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under conditions not harmful to marine turtles. Footage was acquired while conducting authorized conservation activities pursuant to FWC MTP-16-013.

CMA released the hatchlings in a healthy floating sargassum seaweed line 6 miles off the coast. After hatching and emerging from their nests at night, sea turtle hatchlings crawl to the water and fight to swim to the weed line. Sargassum seaweed provides camouflage and an abundance of food for them to grow safely. However, it is estimated only 1 in 1,000 sea turtle hatchlings make it to adulthood due to predators and other threats.

"The loggerhead sea turtle is an endangered species, and they have the odds stacked against them for survival," says David Yates, CEO of Clearwater Marine Aquarium. "That is why our nesting conservation and rescue/rehab work with these sea turtles is essential to the species' existence."

Many sea turtle hatchlings become entangled in garbage on the beach, fall in holes dug by beachgoers, become disoriented from coastal property lighting, and more. Beachgoers can help protect sea turtles by picking up trash and other objects left on the beach, filling holes in the sand and knocking down sand castles, and avoiding the use of any lights after dark when near the beach. To learn more about Clearwater Marine Aquarium's sea turtle conservation program, click here.

Media Resources:

Click here to download video of the hatchling rescue and rehabilitation.
For video and photos of the release contact Julia Anderson: [email protected] or 727.686.3499.

About Clearwater Marine Aquarium:

Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working marine rescue center dedicated to inspiring the human spirit through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release. CMA is home to rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, nurse sharks and more. Winter the dolphin's story of survival, after an injury that caused her to lose her tail, has impacted millions of people around the world. A major motion picture, Dolphin Tale, highlighted her life story in 2011. The sequel, Dolphin Tale 2, was released in September 2014 and features the incredible story of Hope, a young resident dolphin of CMA. The mission and potential to change people's lives differentiates Clearwater Marine Aquarium from any other aquarium in the world.

WE BELIEVE in preserving our environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life, environmental education, research and conservation.

249 Windward Passage | Clearwater, FL 33767 | 727.441.1790 | SeeWinter.com
A Florida non-profit 501(c)(3)

SOURCE Clearwater Marine Aquarium