Sea
Turtle Rehabilitation and Hatchling Program
Statistics taken on a green sea turtle
before transportation to be released
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Sea turtles may live for several decades in
the open oceans but their lives are never more threatened
than in their first few minutes of existence. Many fall prey
to hungry predators such as ghost crabs, gulls, and raccoons.
Others may become disoriented in their trek to the sea by
the bright lights of oceanfront developments or trapped by
vehicle tracks in the sand. In extreme situations, qualified
staff may relocate eggs from threatened nests to protected
sites. |
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Hatchlings found wandering away from the ocean
are sometimes cared for at the Aquariums until they are healthy
and can be released. The early years of a sea turtle |
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are also filled with peril, with perhaps only
one in a hundred reaching the age of sexual maturity at 15-20
years. In addition to their natural enemies (sharks, groupers,
bluefish), their existence is seriously threatened by man and
his activities in coastal areas. Beach development interferes
with nesting habitats, trawl nets can capture and drown turtles
which must come to the surface to breathe, and beach vehicles
can leave deep tire tracks which become death pits for a new
hatchling heading for the sea. |
A hatchling
sea turtle will fit into the palm of your hand |
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In an effort to curb the declining population of sea turtles,
aquarium staff gathers information on nesting, injured and
dead sea turtles. Local volunteers help by combing beaches
for signs of turtle "crawls" and strandings. These
reports help researchers learn more about sea turtle migration
and life cycles.
One of the most satisfying experiences at a public aquarium
is to return to the wild an injured animal that has been treated
and cared for. Each spring the Aquariums return a number of
sea turtles to the ocean after a winter of convalescence.
The turtles may have been hit by a boat, attacked by a hungry
shark, or perhaps just caught this far north by an early cold
spell. In any case, their chances of survival would have been
slim had they not come under the care of professional aquarists.
Survival is indeed the name of the game for these threatened
and endangered species. Loggerhead and green turtles are the
most commonly seen sea turtles along our coast, and their
status as threatened species means their numbers are declining.
Three other species of sea turtles less often encountered
- leatherbacks, hawksbills, and ridleys - are in greater peril
of extinction and are officially listed as endangered.
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NOTICE: Sea turtles are protected
by the U.S. Endangered Species Act, international agreement,
and many state laws. Under these laws, the unauthorized taking
or harassment of sea turtles, dead or alive, or taking their
eggs or disturbing their nests, is prohibited and can carry
fines up to $20,000. There is a reward of up to $2,500 for
information leading to the conviction of violators. |
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