Earlier this week, The Loggerhead Marinelife Center released two sea turtles back into the ocean. The double release was the first public sea turtle release since February of 2020. Hundreds of people gathered along the beach near the center to witness two sea turtles be released back into the ocean after spending months at the center for recovery and rehabilitation.
The sea turtle release event was Wednesday, July 14th at 9:30 am. The two sea turtles released were named Big Chase and Pike. Pike is a subadult loggerhead sea turtle patient that was found near the Juno Beach Pier a few months back. Big Chase is a male loggerhead sea turtle patient that was found by biologists from the Inwater Research Group at FPL’s St. Lucie site. Big Chase and Pike were monitored by the hospital staff and received routine diagnostics and care before being healthy enough to be released back into the ocean.
For those who did not attend the sea turtle release, the release can be viewed online on their YouTube page and social media pages. The two turtles have a tracking device for continued monitoring by the center and can be tracked by members of the public to see their current location through their website.
Currently the Loggerhead Marinelife Center is housing seven sea turtle patients. The patients are being treated for illnesses and/or injuries before they will be released back into the ocean. There is currently no sea turtle releases scheduled at the moment, be sure to check their website for updates and changes.
The Loggerhead Marinelife Center is currently open to the public for daily tours of the research and rehabilitation center. The tours are offered several times a day and cost $10 dollars for adults and $5 dollars for children. On the tour, the public will learn about the current sea turtle patients and get a tour of the center. The staff will be onsite to answer all of you questions regarding the sea turtles and the center.
Registration is required for the Public Guided Tours. To register, click here.
