Back Into The Wild - Sea Turtles

By Paige Turner

Due to the cold weather, about 120 sea turtles were rescued throughout the Space Coast in recent weeks and released back into their natural habitat this month.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission worked with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society of Melbourne Beach to release the rehabilitated turtles after officials said many of the them almost died because of exposure to the unusually cold water.

Many of those picked up were green turtles, but some of them were loggerheads. Thirty of the turtles were set free at Kelly Park in Merritt Island, with others freed at Sebastian Inlet and several spots in Titusville.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officers rescued the turtles because they looked like they were in danger, with some barely even alive. They were then taken to a facility in Fort Pierce and put through a rehab program to insure their survival.

“When we get these turtles in, we either tag them or we put a microchip in their flipper… in the future if they come up again or if they need to be rehabbed, we can see where they′ve been and how to find them,″ said FWC officer Lenny Salberg.

About one quarter of the world’s sea turtle population nests on Florida beaches during the spring and summer months. The Sea Turtle Preservation Society works to increase the hatchling survival rate by educating the public about the impact of lighting, beach debris, habitat destruction, and marine pollution.

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