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The Gulfarium’s C.A.R.E. Center tomorrow will be releasing five rehabilitated sea turtles, including three previously injured at Navarre Beach. The release will take place at 10 a.m. at Grayton Beach State Park, located off of East County Highway 30A. All five of the rehabilitated sea turtles fell victim to marine debris or fishing hook related injuries.
Serrano, a juvenile Green sea turtle, was foul-hooked at Navarre Beach on June 1st, 2019. Nothing was ingested; however, the front left flipper had suffered severe trauma due to line entanglement around the shoulder. The fishing gear was wrapped so tightly around the flipper that it created a tourniquet, cutting off blood supply and digging into the soft tissues near the shoulder. Antibiotics, fluid therapy, intense wound care, and class IV laser therapy were all utilized to heal Serrano’s flipper.Lacy, a sub-adult Loggerhead sea turtle weighing 41.7kg, was hooked at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier on June 6th, 2019. Lacy had been caught with a treble hook in her back left flipper, but also had an old circle hook in the corner of her mouth. She had multiple older injuries that had already healed, including a horizontal laceration to her shell, and amputation of part of her back right flipper and a portion her shell. Lacy was given fluid therapy and antibiotics over the course of her rehabilitation. Harper, another sub-adult Loggerhead sea turtle, was admitted to the C.A.R.E. Center on August 23, 2019. Harper was hooked by a fisherman at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier and had a large circle hook in her mouth. There was fishing line entangled around her left front shoulder, along with a j-hook and treble hook. During surgical removal of the large circle hook from her esophagus, there was also a j-hook removed that had been discovered during initial radiographs. Claudia, a Loggerhead sea turtle weighing 52.2kg, was found just east of Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier on September 13, 2019. She was brought to shore due to an entanglement around her front right shoulder. She has entanglement scars on her front left shoulder, as well as on her front right flipper. Although it is clear that this turtle has had multiple entanglement encounters, she had not ingested anything and was active and healthy. Therefore, she is ready for release. Blenny, a juvenile Green weighing 2.95kg, was foul-hooked on August 30th, 2019. The hook fell out prior to the stranding team’s arrival and radiographs showed no internal hooks. All five sea turtles were rehabilitated at the Gulfarium C.A.R.E Center and are cleared for release. The Gulfarium CARE Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is proud to act as a beacon for coastal conservation through marine animal rescue and rehabilitation. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made online on the C.A.R.E. Center’s page: www.gulfarium.com/care_center |
