If you would like to see a number of rescued sea turtles before they are returned to the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory in Panacea has quite a collection for the next few days. The Marine lab has 58 green sea turtles and 2 kemp’s ridleys that were stranded, and washed up on the beaches of St. Joe Bay from the deep freeze that hit Florida this past week.
The turtles will be held in Panacea for the next few days until the water and air temperatures warm, and they will then be taken back to Cape San Blas and released. You can see the sixty sea turtles swimming around at the aquarium in Panacea over the next day or two, before they’re released.
The aquarium is open from 10 to 4 on Saturday and 12 to 4 on Sunday. You can call ahead at 850-984-5297.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the number of turtles statewide that were rescued during the week long cold snap has topped 2000. Cold-stunned sea turtles have been found stranded in inshore waters statewide in Brevard, St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, Monroe, Bay, Gulf, Pinellas, Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Biologists predict the majority of the affected turtles will survive.
Rescuing the turtles was a major undertaking, but it’s not the end of the matter. As the sea turtles recover and water temperatures rise, another major effort will occur as the sea turtles are released.
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