![]() ![]() Loggerheads and other sea turtles can get hurt by colliding with boats. Add in habitat destruction, either man-made or climate change-induced, and the result is an endangered species. ![]() Those who do make it to adulthood often get tangled in fishing nets or eat too much plastic, mistaking it for jellyfish. Too many predators, on land and in the air. Most of the hatchlings never make it to deep water. With that many eggs left behind, you would think there are lots of loggerheads in the sea. Next year they’ll be back-mostly the same turtles-to the same beach location. And again…maybe four or five times in a season. Then it’s back out to sea for a couple of weeks until they come back and do it again. After clambering up the sand past the high tide line, our loggerhead sea turtles lie down to create a “body pit”, dig holes and lay hundreds of eggs. Fish and Wildlife Service and various state agencies and independent conservation organizations.Every spring and summer, under cover of darkness, they invade our shores. Because sea turtles nest on land, responsibility for their conservation is shared between the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. The loggerhead sea turtle is threatened worldwide and is under consideration for being reclassified as “endangered” due to diminishing populations in the Western Atlantic Ocean. “We loved having Dylan in Atlanta and were sad to see her go, but it is certainly important that she will be released and continues to educate and inspire the future stewards of our oceans.” “The Georgia Aquarium’s partnership with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has been important and hugely successful,” said Ray Davis, Senior Vice President of Zoological Operations at the Georgia Aquarium. She returned to Jekyll Island in May of 2007, arriving at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center shortly before its official public opening, becoming the second patient. Dylan’s release is indeed an appropriate finale for Sea Turtle Weekend, the anniversary celebration of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.”Īfter outgrowing her tank at the Tidelands Nature Center in Jekyll Island, a partnership was formed with the Georgia Aquarium, where Dylan was relocated in November 2005. “This is a very special event for the entire community. The Center reflects our commitment to conservation, preservation and education.” said William Lattimore, Jr., Chairman of the Jekyll Island Foundation. “The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is an exciting project initiated by the Jekyll Island Foundation and the Jekyll Island Authority. We are glad to see her depart for her real home at sea and are excited to watch her travels once she is released." “She has come a long way in the last year and has been a great representative of sea turtle education and conservation, helping to spread the word about the plight of the sea turtle and the marine ecosystem. Terry Norton, Director of Veterinary Services and Interim Director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. “We are very pleased with Dylan’s progress,” said Dr. By studying her movements, researchers may be able to learn about some of the differences between learned and inherited behaviors. This will be the first time that a sea turtle has been raised entirely in captivity for this long and then released with a tracking device. on the day prior to her release, Dylan will also be fitted with a special satellite transmitter, providing Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) researchers and visitors to the GSTC and Georgia Aquarium Web sites the opportunity to monitor her activities and movements. ![]() Since last summer, when Dylan returned to Jekyll Island from the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, she has been learning the skills needed to return to the wild - including identifying and capturing natural prey such as blue crabs, horseshoe crabs and whelks.Īt 3 p.m. Now that her carapace is over 50 cm long, Dylan is big enough to return to the ocean according to standards set by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Simons Island, the University of Georgia’s Tidelands Nature Center, the Georgia Aquarium and (most recently) the Georgia Sea Turtle Center have enjoyed the sights of this graceful sea turtle for many years. Visitors to Coastal Encounters Nature Center on St. ![]()
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