Palm Beach Fire-Rescue teams help rescue sea turtles trapped in rocks off coast

Carol Rose, Palm Beach Daily News
Updated ·2 min read

Members of the Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Department recently were called on to use their lifesaving skills to help a couple of sea turtles that were trapped in rocks along the island's coast.

On June 10, a visitor from Mississippi alerted town officials that a large loggerhead sea turtle had become wedged among rocks of the jetty just north of the Worth Avenue clock tower, Assistant Chief Sean Baker told the Daily News.

Fire-rescue personnel provided shade and comfort for the turtle while they waited for officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to arrive, he said.

Personnel from Palm Beach Fire Rescue and Florida Fish and Wildlife carry a loggerhead sea turtle that was found wedged among the rocks at Midtown Beach on June 10 toward the water.
Personnel from Palm Beach Fire Rescue and Florida Fish and Wildlife carry a loggerhead sea turtle that was found wedged among the rocks at Midtown Beach on June 10 toward the water.
Rescuers watch as the loggerhead turtle makes it way into the ocean.
Rescuers watch as the loggerhead turtle makes it way into the ocean.
Palm Beach Fire Rescue and Florida Fish and Wildlife helped a loggerhead sea turtle that was wedged among the rocks June 10 at Midtown Beach.
Palm Beach Fire Rescue and Florida Fish and Wildlife helped a loggerhead sea turtle that was wedged among the rocks June 10 at Midtown Beach.

The visitor "expressed gratitude for our prompt response, as she was initially unaware of how to handle the situation involving the sea turtle," Baker said. "She had no knowledge of the turtle's distress or entrapment, assuming it would naturally return to the ocean."

More: Lights out! What to know as sea turtle nesting season begins this week

The loggerhead was successfully recovered and returned to the ocean in good condition, the FWC said in a report.

In the second incident, on June 24, someone called about a sea turtle — later identified as a loggerhead — trapped in the rocks just south of the Palm Beach Country Club.

Fire-rescue personnel responded and found that the turtle was injured so they reached out to FWC for assistance in evaluating the animal's condition, Baker said. Again, the local response team took steps to ensure the turtle's well-being by keeping it wet and creating a temporary sunshade to shield it from the sun until FWC experts arrived, he said.

FWC determined that the turtle's injuries were minor, and that it could be returned to its ocean habitat, Baker said, so town and state officials freed the turtle from the rocks and set it free into the wild. Baker said he did not know the species of the freed turtle.

Female sea turtles are common along the South Florida coast during nesting season, which runs from March 1 to Oct. 31.

What to do if you see a sea turtle

  • Stay out of the sea turtle's way. Any distractions may frighten or disorient them, causing a female to return to the ocean before finishing her nest, or misdirecting a hatchling away from the water.

  • Don't use any flashlights, flash photography, or video equipment. This can cause a female to false crawl or lead a hatchling away from the water.

  • If you come across a sea turtle that is stranded or dead; a hatchling that is wandering in a road, parking lot, or directions other than the water; or if you see someone disturbing a nest or turtle, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Division of Law Enforcement at 1-888-404-FWCC or *FWC from your cellphone.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Fire-Rescue teams help rescue sea turtles trapped in rocks