Two Sea Turtles Released Friday from City Island and Longboat

Mote Intern Kassie Movsesian (left) prepares to release “Hayley,” the sea turtle on Oct. 8 from City Island.  The turtle is nicknamed after Mote PR Specialist Hayley Rutger (right) (Credit Mote Marine Laboratory).

Two juvenile green sea turtles rehabbed at Mote Marine Laboratory returned to the wild on Friday morning, Oct. 8.  

• “Hayley,” the last sea turtle treated at Mote for cold-stress after January’s extended cold weather that stranded more than 4,500 sea turtles statewide, was returned to sea on Friday morning from City Island, Sarasota.
• “Terra,” a turtle that earned the Latin name for “earth” after arriving at Mote on Earth Day, was released Friday morning from Broadway Beach Access on the north end of Longboat Key.

Read their full stories at: www.mote.org/hayleyterra

Check out the other turtles at Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and support these animals with a donation at www.mote.org/seaturtlehospital.

Media: For high-res photos, please contact Hayley at hrutger@mote.org.

Photos
110 Pint-Sized Anglers Learn to Reel Em’ In at Mote


Kids bait their lines for catch-and-release fishing during the Teach-A-Kid
Fishing Clinic at Mote Aquaculture Research Park (credit Holly Guth/Mote Marine Laboratory)

A group of 110 kids practiced catch-and-release techniques – and they caught the fishing bug, too – during the Teach-A-Kid Fishing Clinic at on Oct. 2 at Mote’s sustainable fish farm, Mote Aquaculture Research Park. 

Media: For additional low-res photos, please contact Hayley at hrutger@mote.org
Please credit photos to Holly Guth/Mote Marine Laboratory and please don't post this link publicly.
Watch a YouTube video of the event created by Addictive Fishing.

Mote staff thank all the parents and guardians who brought their young anglers for this day of fun, which included lessons on casting, cast netting, fly fishing, fly tying, bait and tackle, ethical angling, kayak fishing and even a Japanese fish-printing art form called Gyotaku.
We couldn't help educate new generations about responsible fishing without the support of many volunteer fishing guides, local anglers, fishing club members, and local business staff. This event was made possibly by a grant from Fish Florida Foundation and support from the following generous sponsors:
Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission including staff member Gina Russo, Karen Chadwick Gyotaku Art, New Pass Bait Shop, Economy Tackle, Fish Florida, Petland of Sarasota, Dick's Sporting Goods, Sarasota Sportsmens Association, Rusty Chinnis Contractor, Inc., Addictive Fishing, Aquatic EcoSystems, Calusa Cast Nets, Centaurus Dehooker, Coastal Angler Magazine, Curwood Carpentry, Inc., Dick's Sporting Goods, Diiatchi, DOA Tackle, Economy Tackle, Home Depot, Hydro Glow, Gone Fishin’ with Capt. Jonnie Walker, Jason Mathias Art, Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers, Sarasota Bay Watch, Shelcidy Custom Remodeling, Star Brite and 4Fishstuff.

Mote Mascot Gilly the Shark is about to play TAG with our friends throughout the region. Gilly will join Mote’s partners from Sarasota and Manatee counties Monday to make our community the first to be “TAGged” with Microsoft’s new smart phone technology.
Join us at a press conference organized by Lakewood Ranch and Microsoft at 10 a.m. on Oct. 11 in the Polo Grill at Lakewood Ranch. Representatives from both organizations will announce the details of this region-wide partnership.
Microsoft TAGs are like barcodes that smartphone users can scan to see videos, pictures, web pages and other content. Check out Mote’s first TAGs on our 135,000-gallon shark habitat and our Seahorse Conservation Laboratory in Mote Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota. We’ve also TAGged the Mote Aquarium exhibits at two locations in Sarasota:  Selby Library at 1331 First Street and Sarasota-Manatee International Airport at 6000 Airport Circle.
>Learn more about Mote at www.mote.org.
>Read more about the press conference here.

Oct. 10 and 12
Songs of Love & Passion during Festival sARTée at Mote
For all you “cuddle-fish” out there, Mote Aquarium will host two evenings of “Songs of Love and Passion” performed by soprano Abla Hamza with vocal coach and conductor Laurent Philippe on piano.These performances are part of Festival sARTée, a showcase of world-class arts and culture in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Shows run from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. on Oct. 10 and 12 in the Jean P. Hendry Conference Hall at the Mote’s Ann and Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal Center, 1703 Ken Thompson Parkway in Sarasota.
Each performance will include four masterpieces:
Liszt: Oh quand je dors
Verdi: Sempre libera (from La Traviata)
Puccini: Quando men vo soletta per la via (from La Boheme)
Brown/Brent: Love Is Where You Find It
Tickets are $40. Purchase tickets by phone at 941-388-1188 (Visa and MasterCard are accepted or payments can be mailed in). Mote Members will receive a $5 discount when you mention your Membership on the phone. 

Oct. 13
Volunteer Recruitment Coffee at Mote
Want to bring the oceans to life for the public — and explore Mote Aquarium for free? Join us for a Volunteer Recruitment Coffee from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Oct. 13 in the Buchanan Room on the third floor of Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway in Sarasota.
Participants will tour Mote Aquarium and enjoy refreshments provided by Mote.  You'll have the opportunity to chat with Mote volunteers about their excellent gigs, and about how you can get involved. Please RSVP to Lisa Kinsella, Volunteer Coordinator, at 941-388-4441, ext. 438 or by emailing lkinsella@mote.org.

Oct. 16
Special Offer: Cruise the Bay on the Cheap
Cruise along the coast with the Sarasota Bay Explorers at a discount — just $10 per person — on Oct. 16 during Customer Appreciation Day. A portion of all ticket sales benefit Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.
Sea Life Encounter Cruises, which normally cost $26, are educational and fun tours narrated by a marine biologist aboard a shaded pontoon boat. Passengers can see dolphins, manatees, birds, seahorses, sea stars, puffer fish, native plants and more while cruising Sarasota and Roberts bays.  Biologists gather marine life for a hands-on experience aboard the boat (all sea animals are released).
Each cruise lasts one hour and 45 minutes. Cruises leave at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. from Mote Aquarium, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway in Sarasota. Discounted tickets go on sale Monday, Oct 11.
Call 941-388-4200 or purchase in person between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Sarasota Bay Explorers desk at Mote Aquarium. Children ages 3 and younger ride for free. Boats have clean restrooms and snacks and sodas available for purchase.
Check-in time is 30 minutes prior to departure. In the event the cruise is canceled due to weather, tickets may be redeemed for other boat trips within 30 days. Tickets are non-refundable. Learn more at: www.sarasotabayexplorers.com/sealife.html.

Oct. 19 (Register now)
Wade into Water Opportunities Week with Mote
Teach your little ones to care for our watersheds — areas that drain into Sarasota’s rivers, lakes and bays — as Mote celebrates Water Opportunities Week with a fun and educational Mommy and Me program on Tuesday, Oct. 19.
Water Opportunities Week, now in its third year, was created by the Science and Environment Council of Sarasota County (SEC) to support our local watersheds. Healthy watersheds mean healthier bodies of water and better lives for the people, animals and plants that depend on them.
SEC member organizations will celebrate Water Opportunities Week from Oct. 17-24 with watershed-related educational events and programs for the whole family.
During Mote's program, “Exploring the Bay,” kids ages 2 - 5 and their favorite adults can explore coastal habitats by wading with a Mote science educator and collecting marine animals with dip nets. The program runs from 10 - 11 a.m. on Oct. 19 and begins at the Mote Aquarium entrance, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway in Sarasota. Participants should arrive at 9:50 a.m. Cost is $15 ($12 for Mote Members) and is $5 for each additional child ($4 for Members). Kids and adults must wear closed-toed, closed-heel water shoes. Pre-registration isfallegra@georgiaaquarium.org required. For registration and information on other Mommy and Me classes, visit www.mote.org/mommyandme.
Learn more about Water Opportunities Week at: http://www.secsc.org/watershed.htm.