Nine sea turtles are back in the Atlantic after months of rehab, and a crowd turned out in Ocean City to watch it happen.
Hundreds of spectators gathered at the 40th Street beach access on Thursday morning as the National Aquarium released nine rehabilitated sea turtles into the ocean. Aquarium staff, volunteers and community members cheered as the turtles made their way into the surf.
The public release happened on June 18 and marked another rescue and rehabilitation season for the aquarium.
The turtles, St. Paul, Fells Point, Glen, Mount Vernon, Hamilton, Cherry Hill, Little Italy, Lakeland and Brooklyn, were among 40 sea turtles rescued off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, last December after they were cold stunned.
According to the National Aquarium, cold stunning happens when sea turtles are exposed to rapidly dropping water temperatures, causing them to become lethargic, disoriented and vulnerable to injury or death.
The aquarium said 29 of the original 40 turtles were released earlier this year from Oak Island, North Carolina.
One turtle died shortly after arriving at the aquarium. Another turtle, Patterson Park, is still being treated for a mycobacterial infection and is expected to need care for several more months.
“We are always so happy to be able to share the release of successfully rehabilitated sea turtles with our community,” said Director of Animal Rescue Malia Hale in a press release.
“Public releases allow Aquarium members and friends to see the results of the rehab work that we undertake each year. It’s our hope that seeing the turtles up close inspires people to care for our ocean and the animals we share it with.”
The National Aquarium is part of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, a partnership of organizations that responds to stranded and injured sea turtles along the East Coast.
Before a turtle can be released, aquarium staff must determine it has fully recovered and can swim, forage and survive independently in the wild. Final approval for release comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Aquarium officials are asking residents and visitors who encounter stranded marine animals to call the National Aquarium’s Animal Stranding Hotline at (410) 576-3880 and keep a safe distance from wildlife.
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