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Cold-Shocked Turtles Return Home
01/13/10 - 10:10 PM
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In the largest sea turtle cold-shock rescue effort on record, about 14 hundred Green Sea Turtles in the area are recovering from last week’s weather.  Now, they’re ready to go home.

The turtles were taken in by Gulf World after they were washed up on the beaches, unable to move during several nights of freezing temperatures.  It takes a lot of helping hands from Gulf World employees, Turtle Watch members, and volunteers like John Cassel.

“It’s a good workout right there, you can forget going to the gym, these guys will keep you in good shape for a long time,” said Cassel after lifting one of the 80-pound reptiles, “I’ve learned so many things about the sea turtles… it’s pretty much a life experience right here.”

Thirteen of the largest turtles are ready to go back in the Gulf after recovering for about a week in warmer water.  After volunteers load them on a truck, they traveled to the Navy base to unload with the help of the U.S Coast Guard.

“Coast guard is very much into wildlife protection so this does go into it as a big part of our job, and part of what we do,” said Coast Guard member Timothy Meyers, “That’s why I joined the coast guard you know, help save lives human and marine wildlife.  I grew up on the water, so this is real exciting for me to do.”

Thirteen miles away from shore, they were dropped off in 57-degree water.  But, not before being tagged and documented with the help of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for research.

“It is a very unfortunate event but the silver lining is we get the opportunity to collect a lot of data,” said NOAA research biologist Jeff Gearhart, “being able to tag the ones that did survive and release those and get a better handle on population estimates.”

Of the 14-hundred, about 350 were unable to be saved.  Gearhart says they will utilize all of those for research as well.  With the information they gather, he hopes to help preserve the endangered species.