View the official press release from Seaworld:
HURRICANE BILL SENDS SEA TURTLE HATCHLINGS TO SEAWORLD FOR CARE
Orlando, Fla. (August 24, 2009) — Hurricane Bill may have spared Florida but the huge storm’s affects were still felt by some of the states’ smallest residents. Three loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings are under the care of SeaWorld aquarists after rough seas prevented the trio from making their trek into the waters off the Cape Canaveral National Seashore.
Wildlife officials transported the reptilian refugees to SeaWorld’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Wednesday, August 19. The three-inch-long hatchlings are in good health as SeaWorld animal staff members provide daily feedings while monitoring their size and weight.
Once the seas calm, the park’s Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Team will return them to the wild off the coast of Juno Beach in Jupiter, Florida.
Loggerheads are listed as threatened by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Every year hatchlings face many “human” obstacles during their journey from their nest on the beach to the shoreline. Artificial lighting, noise and beach activity can confuse causing them to head away from the ocean and toward parking lots and city streets.
SeaWorld is a global leader in the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles. The park’s Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Team in on call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. In 2008, they performed 27 sea turtle rescues and 19 sea turtle releases.
Pictures courtesy of Seaworld.
[flickr-gallery mode=”photoset” photoset=”72157626566353882″]
