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A
sea turtle rehabbed for boat-strike injuries
for 18 months
at Mote was returned to the sea this morning,
March 4, cheered on by a crowd
including caregivers from Mote and the owner
of the charter boat fleet that
rescued it.
The young loggerhead sea turtle was released
just after 10 a.m. near the northernmost
lifeguard tower at Lido Beach.
The turtle is nicknamed “Catch” because it was
rescued by the crew of the “Big
Catch,” a charter boat in the Sarasota-based
Flying Fish Fleet. The rescue was
coordinated by Capt. Nick Froelich, First Mate
Mark Bailey and the Fleet’s
owner, Greg Clausen.
Today, Clausen joined a crowd of well-wishers
to watch as Mote staff and
interns returned Catch to the sea.
“It’s
a wonderful feeling to see this turtle go back
to the
sea,” Clausen said. “We’re so glad the Flying
Fish Fleet could help with the
rescue. That’s what we’re here for.”
About
Catch’s rescue
The “Big Catch” crew found the turtle on Aug.
30, 2009 in waters off Sarasota. The turtle
could
not dive and its shell was coated with
barnacles. They retrieved the turtle and
brought it to Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea
Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.
As
Mote staff cleaned Catch’s upper shell, or
carapace, they
found two deep, old wounds most likely caused
by a boat propeller. These wounds
came close to damaging the turtle’s lungs and
spine.
Mote
staff carefully cleaned and treated Catch’s
wounds and
almost immediately Catch began eating — a
great sign. During its stay at Mote,
Catch received multiple health exams and blood
tests, which showed the turtle
was recovering nicely over time.
Catch’s
shell healed well but it took time for the
shell to
harden enough so the turtle could be returned
to the wild.
Mote
staff caution that not all turtles are so
lucky. We ask boaters to keep our waters
turtle-friendly by following Coast
Guard-approved safe boating guidelines and
using vigilance to avoid striking sea turtles
and other marine species.
If
you see a stranded or dead sea turtle, dolphin
or whale
within Sarasota
or Manatee county waters, please call Mote's
Stranding Investigations Program
at 941-988-0212.
If
you see a stranded or dead manatee anywhere in
state
waters or a stranded or dead dolphin, whale or
sea turtle outside of Sarasota or Manatee
counties, please call the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission's
Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
You
can help Mote care for sick and injured sea
turtles by
supporting Mote's hospital through through
Gulf Coast Gives, a new Web site
created by Gulf Coast, the Foundation of
Community to
connect the needs of local charities with
people in the community who want to
help. Visit: https://www.gulfcoastgives.org/projects/45
You
can also support these animals by attending or
sponsoring Mote’s Party on the Pass, a
fundraiser for Mote’s animal hospitals,
on April 16. Read more at www.mote.org/partyonthepass.
To
support our hospitals through Mote's Web site,
visit: www.mote.org/hospitalhelp.
Monday
Lecture:
Tracking the World’s Largest Shark
Dr. Robert Hueter lives large by
studying whale sharks,
which can grow longer than a school bus and
are the ocean’s biggest fish. He
will describe how Mote scientists have
ventured from the Gulf of Mexico to the
Persian Gulf to understand the biology,
behavior and
conservation of whale sharks during Mote’s
Special Lecture Series on March 7.
Hueter, Director of the Center for Shark
Research at
Mote Marine Laboratory, is the fifth speaker in
this year’s Special Lecture
Series, which showcases world-famous speakers
who discuss marine-related topics
at 7:30 p.m. on Mondays through March 14. Talks
take place in the Immersion
Cinema at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium,
1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota.
Limited seating is available, so advance online
ticket purchase is strongly
suggested. Tickets for Hueter’s lecture are on
sale now for $24 ($12 for Mote
Members). Purchase tickets and read about
upcoming lectures at
www.mote.org/lecture.
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Register
by March 12:
Free Workshops:
Lights out for Sea Turtles
As
sea turtles return to nest on local beaches in
May, keeping our shores dark is the bright thing
to
do. Light from waterfront properties can
disorient turtle mothers and their young, which
emerge at night and use dim natural light to
find the sea.
You
can learn to keep our shores turtle-friendly
during the 6th Annual Sea Turtle & Coastal
Lighting Workshop hosted by Mote Marine
Laboratory and the City of Venice.
- March 15: 1:30 – 4 p.m., March 15, in
the Jean P. Hendry Conference Room in Mote's
Ann and Alfred Goldstein Marine Mammal and
Sea Turtle Rehabilitation and Research
Center, 1703 Ken Thompson Parkway on City
Island, Sarasota.
- March 28: 1:30 – 4 p.m., March 28,
Venice City Council Chambers, 401 West
Venice Ave., Venice.
Attendees
can hear educational presentations by Mote's sea
turtle researchers and local wildlife officials
and ask questions about proper lighting methods
and local ordinances governing beach lighting.
They'll also have the chance to participate in
an official marine turtle lighting course and
check out new lighting products approved by the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, including turtle-friendly lighting
fixtures,
blinds, shields and tinting.
The workshops are free and beach residents and
property managers are encouraged to attend. This
event is also great for electricians, builders,
architects, lighting designers, landscapers and
lighting suppliers.
Registration is required by
March 12.
For more information and to register, contact
Keri Ferenc Nelson of Sarsota County’s Sea
Turtle Protection Program at 941-232-6788 or kfnelson@scgov.net.
Download a PDF: http://www.mote.org/2011lightingworkshop
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Mark
Your Calendar
Salvage
for Sea Creatures on March 17
If you love ocean treasures — including sea
life in need — join Sarasota Architectural
Salvage for a “Nautical Night at the Salvage
Yard” benefitting Mote Marine Laboratory’s
hospitals for dolphins, whales and sea
turtles.
The
event runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday,
March 17 at 1093 Central Avenue in Sarasota.
It is one of the regular charity-night events
hosted by Sarasota Architectural Salvage.
With
major support from several local businesses,
100 percent of ticket sales will go directly
to Mote. The event is 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March
17 at SAS, 1093 Central Ave., Sarasota. The
event is open to the public and tickets are
$15 in advance ($20 at the door). Advance
tickets are available at SAS or online at www.sarasotasalvage.com.
Featured
food items are from Da Ru Ma, Owens Fish Camp,
Nellie’s Deli, Carr’s Corner Café, Local
Coffee and Tea and Cakes by Ron.
Beer and wine will also be served.
Sponsors include: Broadway Bar, Carr’s Corner
Café, Dale and Debbie Smoot, Eco$mart Inc.,
G4S Secure Solutions, Gold Coast Eagle
Distributing, Ian Black Realty, Local
Catering/Local Coffee and Tea, Eric Massey —
Michael Saunders & Company, Erin Reid,
Total Wine & More.
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March
26
Ocean
Festival in Key West
Saving
the oceans isn’t always fun and games… unless
you’re talking about the 2nd Annual Florida Keys
Ocean Festival, which raises funds for Mote
Marine
Laboratory’s research and restoration of coral
reefs.
The
Festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday,
March 26, in the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery
Center at the Truman Waterfront, Key West.
Admission and parking are free.
Guests can enjoy food and ice cream, soft
drinks, beer and cocktails, along with face
painting and kids’
activities. Guests can also see and touch real
sea life at the Mote Mobile, the traveling
exhibit of Mote Aquarium.
Other
highlights include:
- Kids’ Fishing Seminar (first 50 kids
signed up receive a free rod and reel to
take home)
- Lucy Buffett’s Famous “wee burgers”
from LuLu’s at Homeport Marina
- Silent Auction, Chance Drawings,
Prizes
- Live music all day by local musicians
The
Festival will feature more than 25 nonprofit and
conservation groups plus marine artists and
craftspeople.
Mote
has been working to understand, protect and
restore coral reefs in the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary for more than a decade. These
efforts are showcased at Mote’s “Living Reef”
exhibit within the Eco-Discovery
Center.
Learn more at: www.mote.org/4reef.
Participating
organizations:
Mote Marine
Laboratory’s Protect Our Reefs Program; The
Nature
Conservancy; Marine Mammal Conservancy;
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary;
Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center; Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Team O.C.E.A.N.; Dolphin
Research Center; Seacamp; National Park
Service; National Weather Service; Wyland
Foundation; Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation;
Florida Keys Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals; “Changing Seas,” a program
by PBS station WPBT; Reef Relief; National Key
Deer
Refuge; Florida Keys Mosquito Control
District; South Florida Water Management
District; Key West Wildlife Rescue & Bird
Center; The Turtle Hospital; Monroe County
Environmental Protection; Bahia Honda State
Park – Overseas Highway/Flagler Railroad; The
Institute For Regional Conservation; History
of Diving Museum; Florida Dept. of
Environmental Protection- Florida Overseas
Heritage Trail; Diadema Spiny Sea Urchin
Restoration Project; Pigeon Key State Park.
Event
sponsors include:
Westin
Hotels & Resorts; Fury Water Adventures;
Keys Energy Services; Key West Harbor Service;
Lifetime Boat Lift; Tow Boat US; LuLu’s at
Homeport Marina; Hard Rock Café; Clear Channel
Radio; Keys Federal Credit Union; Okuma Fishing
Tackle; National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration; Penn Reels / Gulp Baits;Dolphin
Marina; Coastal Angler Magazine; Homeaway
Vacation Rentals.
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Mark
your calendar
Find a
great "catch" at Mote's wooden sculpture
sale
If
you marvel at the graceful forms of sharks and
other sea creatures, just wait ‘til you see them
in ironwood and
mahogany.
At
Mote's Sculpted Wood Show and Sale, you can
browse and buy sea-themed wooden artworks from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18-20 in the Jean P.
Hendry Conference Room at Mote's Ann and Alfred
Goldstein Marine Mammal Research and
Rehabilitation Center, 1703 Ken Thompson
Parkway, Sarasota.
Sculptures include sea
turtles, sharks, manatees, dolphins, mermaids
and other marine life hand-crafted from ironwood
— the second heaviest and densest wood native to
the United States and Mexico that is known for
its beautiful grain. There will also be
sculptures made from chinaberry (jempinis) and
mahogany.
Proceeds support Mote Marine
Laboratory and Aquarium. This show is a free event.
Tickets to Mote Aquarium can be purchased
separately at our admissions desk at 1600 Ken
Thompson Parkway, Sarasota. Mote Aquarium is
open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 365 days per year.
Admission is $17 for adults, $16 for seniors
(over 65), $12 for children (ages 4-12) and free
for children ages 3 and younger. Mote Members
always get in free. Learn more at www.mote.org.
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Mark
Your Calendar
Passionate
about Oceans? Party with Mote on April 16
Pssst…pass it on: Mote’s gearing up for a
fabulous Party on the Pass, our casual evening
of good food, good fun and goodwill supporting
Mote’s hospitals for dolphins, whales and sea
turtles.
Businesses and companies
can help get this party started through special
sponsorship opportunities that are now
available.
This annual fundraiser starts at 6 p.m. on April
16 in the Mote Aquarium courtyard, 1600 Ken
Thompson Parkway in Sarasota. Admission is $75
per person and includes beer, wine, food from
the Sarasota-Manatee Originals and opportunities
to participate in silent and live auctions.
All event proceeds
benefit Mote’s ongoing care and rehabilitation
of sick and injured sea life — like Taz the
dolphin and the 11 sick sea turtles we are
currently treating.
Reservations required
before April 11.
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About
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
Founded in 1955, Mote Marine Laboratory is an
independent nonprofit
(501(c)3) marine research organization based
in Sarasota, Fla., with field
stations in
eastern Sarasota County, Charlotte Harbor and
the Florida
Keys. Donations to Mote are tax
deductible to the fullest extent allowed by
law.  We are dedicated to
advancing the science of the sea through the
study of marine and estuarine ecosystems,
through our public Mote
Aquarium and through an education division
that provides unique
programs for all ages. Mote has seven centers
for scientific research
focusing on sharks, sea turtles and marine
mammals, coral reefs, the
study of toxins in the environment and their
effect on human health,
aquaculture, coastal ecology and fisheries
enhancement. Showcasing this
research is Mote Aquarium, open from 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. 365 days a year.
Learn more at www.mote.org.
 
Contact: Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600
Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236.
(941) 388-4441 or info@mote.org.
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