Two loggerhead sea
turtles returned to Sarasota Bay on Monday morning, July 6, swimming
with renewed vigor after recovering from health problems at Mote Marine
Laboratory's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.
Mote staff and
volunteers gathered on Lido Key to release Ahsoka, an adult female that
stranded on March 29 near Siesta Beach, followed by Padme, a subadult
female that stranded on May 15 between Egmont Key and Anna Maria
Island. Both turtles dug their flippers into the sand and rushed
seaward.
"The release went
really well," said Andy Stamper, Mote's consulting veterinarian. "The
turtles were strong and they got to the water quickly. That's what we
like to see."
Padme and Ahsoka
were brought to Mote anemic, malnourished and sluggish, suffering from
lethargic loggerhead syndrome, an illness of uncertain origin that can
immobilize loggerhead sea turtles, a threatened species protected by
federal law.
"The turtles that
come in with lethargic loggerhead are telling us a story," Stamper
said. "They're sentinels for their environment, and their health
problems could indicate problems in their environment."
Before releasing
Padme and Ahsoka, Mote scientists fitted them with identification tags
and passive integrated transponder, or PIT, tags. A PIT tag is a
microchip inserted under an animal's skin that can be read with an
electronic wand. It's the same technology used in dogs and cats. In the
case of nesting turtles, PIT tags provide information about where and
when the animal was tagged. Mote scientists will be able to recognize
Padme and Ahsoka if they strand again or return to nest.
Southwest Florida
provides key habitat for loggerhead sea turtles, hosting the largest
nesting population in the Gulf of Mexico, but it's unlikely that
Ahsoka, the mature female, will nest this year. When she stranded, her
malnourished body probably reabsorbed her nutritious eggs for
sustenance, Stamper said. "But next year, she should be back in the
game," he said.
Scientists in
Mote's Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program have monitored sea
turtle populations for more than 28 years along 35 miles of Sarasota
County shoreline, surveying for nests with help from dedicated interns
and volunteers, as well as tagging turtles for identification and
tracking.
Media: To
schedule interviews or to obtain photos or video of the release, please
contact Hayley Rutger, public relations specialist, at 941-388-4441,
ext. 365, 941-374-0081 or hrutger@mote.org.
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, a 24-hour response service, 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 FWC Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
