OdySea Aquarium near Scottsdale welcomes 2 endangered sea turtles
OdySea Aquarium has housed two new hard-shelled friends.
Teddy and Pow Pow, two male Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, arrived at the OdySea Aquarium located near Scottsdale after a brief stint at SeaWorld Orlando.
Theodore and Powell are both 43 years old.
What are Kemp's ridley sea turtles?
This species is critically endangered, making them one of the most endangered sea turtle species in the world. But, with about 7,000 to 9,000 of these turtles in the wild today, the species has made a steady comeback from near extinction in the 1980s when only 200 turtles were left in the wild.
Kemp’s ridley turtles are also famous for being the smallest sea turtles in the world, only measuring 2 feet in length and weighing between 70 and 100 pounds in adulthood.
They are also the only type of sea turtle native to North America, as they can be found near the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Where are Teddy and Pow Pow from?
Teddy and Pow Pow were first bred through a breeding program at the Grand Cayman Island’s Cayman Turtle Centre in 1980. Then, after a process that took more than four decades, these turtles were quarantined at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, before being transported to Scottsdale.
“Teddy and Pow Pow inspire us all to protect and preserve our oceans, ensuring a brighter future for all sea turtle species,” Dave Peranteau, director of animal care and conservation at OdySea Aquarium, said in an emailed news release.
The pair of turtles was flown to Scottsdale by the organization Turtles Fly Too, which flies cold-stunned turtles from the Northeast to warmer climates in order to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
Yesterday we were happy to move these two beautiful adult Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles to their new home at the OdySea Aquarium located in Scottsdale, AZ. This isn't the first time these two have ridden with us. In 1980, the Cayman Turtle Centre: Island Wildlife Encounter took in a group of young Kemp's ridley sea turtles from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in an effort to see how the species would breed in captivity. With wild population numbers quickly diving near extinction, they worked on their breeding program until the numbers started coming back. Thanks to international conservation efforts to reduce the main threats to the turtles, the population increased and the program was abandoned. It took 10 years before we were able to transport the last group of remaining turtles to their new homes due to permits and international laws.On April 14, 2022, the "Cayman 10" as we're calling them, were retrieved from the Cayman Islands by our Turtle Fliers, Chuck Yanke Kelli O'Donnell, and NOAA Fisheries Service Veterinarian Brian Stacy, then flown directly to Orlando for quarantine by SeaWorld Orlando. Since the group were raised in captivity and are non-releasable, they were all sent to aquariums to live out the rests of their lives. For further information on some of the turtles you can check out these links:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seaworld-partners-with-wildlife-authorities-and-conservation-groups-to-help-10-endangered-and-non-releasable-kemps-ridley-sea-turtles-301606940.htmlhttps://aqua.org/contact-us/newsroom/press-releases/2022-11-04-national-aquarium-welcomes-non-releasable-kemps-ridley-sea-turtle-from-seaworld
Posted by Turtles Fly Too on Wednesday, January 4, 2023
How many sea turtles reside at OdySea?
With Teddy and Pow Pow, OdySea now has eight sea turtles among its ranks.
With World Sea Turtle Day just around the corner on June 16, the aquarium highlighted its commitment to protecting and conserving sea turtles.
“The presence of Teddy and Pow Pow adds further excitement to OdySea Aquarium, offering visitors the opportunity to see multiple sea turtle species up close while learning more about these majestic animals,” according to the news release.
For more information about visiting Scottsdale's newest residents and to purchase admission tickets, go to www.odyseaaquarium.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: OdySea Aquarium near Scottsdale welcomes 2 Kemp's ridley sea turtles
