Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center releases 5 rehabilitated sea turtles at Topsail Hill

Special to Northwest Florida Daily News/USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read

SANTA ROSA BEACH — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6172400/

It was a warm, sunny morning as crowds gathered to watch the endangered turtles head back into the Gulf of Mexico. All of the rehabilitated sea turtles had fallen victim to fishing hook-related injuries.

One interesting and very large turtle was Mambo, an adult female loggerhead weighing 213 pounds. Mambo was hooked in the mouth June 4 by a large shark fishing circle hook. With light sedation the hook was removed and she was deemed ready for release.

A Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center worker carries one of five turtles that were released Thursday at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach.
A Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center worker carries one of five turtles that were released Thursday at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Santa Rosa Beach.

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Previous turtle release: Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center releases four rehabilitated sea turtles at Inlet Beach

After examining Mambo upon arrival at the C.A.R.E Center, the team believes that she had recently nested and laid eggs.

"Release days are always extremely rewarding for the whole team," said Tabitha Siegfried, stranding coordinator for the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center. "Knowing that Mambo is a reproductively active female who potentially laid eggs recently, getting her back out to possibly nest again this breeding season is especially exciting, as all species of sea turtle are endangered."

Crowds watch as Mambo, an adult female loggerhead sea turtle, heads towards the Gulf of Mexico. She was among five turtles the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center rehabilitated and released Thursday.
Crowds watch as Mambo, an adult female loggerhead sea turtle, heads towards the Gulf of Mexico. She was among five turtles the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center rehabilitated and released Thursday.

Another turtle released was Orion. This juvenile green weighed 15 pounds and arrived at the center May 30 after being accidently foul-hooked by a fisherman at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier.

It was Orion's second time at the Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center. Orion first received rehabilitation at the center in 2021.

Due to her smaller size, she was walked into the surf for release.

The next sea turtle to head back into the Gulf of Mexico was Rosalind, a sub-adult Kemp's ridley weighing in at 45 pounds.

Rosalind had been hooked in the mouth with a large shark fishing hook and a J-hook on May 27. Both of the hooks were removed with light sedation, and following a short recovery period to ensure all was well, Rosalind was cleared for release.

Dot, a juvenile green weighing in at 17 pounds that was foul hooked with a Sabiki hook in the right front flipper at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier on May 29, was also released. This was Dot's third visit to the center, after last receiving treatment in 2020.

Juvenile green sea turtle Lil Bit arrived at the center June 5 after being foul hooked by a fisherman at Navarre Beach Fishing Pier. This turtle weighed just 7 pounds and had clear radiographs upon arrival at the center, so was medically cleared for release by the veterinary team.

If you see a sea turtle in distress, injured, or deceased please report it to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission immediately at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).

Follow the center on Facebook to learn more about sea turtles and the center's rehabilitation efforts. The center and its patients can be visited as part of a general admission ticket to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park.

The Gulfarium CARE Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is proud to act as a beacon for coastal conservation through marine animal rescue and rehabilitation. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made online on the center's webpage.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Endangered sea turtles released Gulf of Mexico at Topsail Hill