The research team has been busy lately helping with the recent cold stunning event in the state of Florida. Over the past two weeks, state wildlife officials and rehab organizations have been collecting turtles affected by the cold weather that stretched across Florida. When severe cold snaps hit, turtles are affected by the decrease in body temperature, often becoming immobile and floating to the surface. Many turtles needed extended care at rehab facilities for conditions like pneumonia while others simply needed a day or two to warm up before they were ready for release. Juno Beach served as a primary release site for the first few days and our crew assisted in the release of several hundred turtles over a three-day period. Our modified ATV trailer worked nicely when hooked to the back of one of our research ATVs and we drove loads of turtles down the beach all day long. Our hospital staff members have been busy treating over 80 turtles that required extended care in our rehab facility. Everyone has been putting in extra time and this work would not be possible if it weren't for the help of dozens of dedicated volunteers. Check out a few photos of the events from the past few days:
On another note, we are gearing up for the fast approaching leatherback season!! We are all a little bit antsy to get back out there. We miss those big girls during the winter! We should start our nightly patrols in early March. Everyone is placing their bets on how many nests we are going to get this year and we're curious to see if we can top last year! Stay tuned! As we get into full-swing we will update regularly and let you know who we are seeing this year!
