The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center celebrated a historic moment in marine conservation Tuesday with the release of an adult male Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, marking the first time the center has rehabilitated and released a turtle of this species and gender.
- Seven rehabilitated sea turtles were released into the Gulf of Mexico at Topsail Hill State Preserve, but the star of the event was Landon, a 62-pound adult male Kemp’s ridley.
Landon was hooked at Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier on June 30 and underwent rehabilitation at the center.
Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are critically endangered, with an estimated population of only 22,000 in the wild. Tabitha Siegfried, Stranding Coordinator for the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center, emphasized the rarity of the event.
“Kemp’s ridleys are the most endangered of all seven species, and male sea turtles are already extremely rare,” Siegfried said. “A male Kemp’s ridley is incredible to be able to see and work with. Male sea turtles rarely come to shore unless sick, injured, or deceased, making encounters like this exceedingly rare.”
In a significant step for research, representatives from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) attached a satellite tag to Landon. This tag will provide data on long-distance movements and behaviors. The other released turtles received acoustic tags to assess fine-scale movements and habitat use around fishing piers.
- The USGS plans to compare the movement patterns of rehabilitated turtles to wild-caught sea turtles. This research aims to aid conservation efforts by reducing the number of sea turtles hooked and entangled in fishing gear.
The release event, organized by the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Foundation, drew a crowd of locals, tourists, and sea turtle advocates. The foundation expressed gratitude to the community, volunteers, and partner organizations for their support in making these releases possible.
The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center reminds the public to report any sea turtles in distress, injured, or deceased to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).
