Georgia Sea Turtle Center's Van, Main Beach Park in Fernandina
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s van was parked by Sandy Bottoms at Main Beach Park in Fernandina Beach. Their mission, to release a rehabilitated green sea turtle named Sammie, home to the sea (WATCH VIDEO BELOW). This was a coordinated event of the Wild Amelia Nature Festival taking place this weekend on Amelia Island, Florida (an annual event held each May).
Around noon, the folks of Jekyll Island’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center, took Sammie out of a container, to the delight of the crowd gathered to see this turtle off to sea. Then everyone headed toward the surf to try and glimpse Sammie’s entry into the ocean.
Watch the 2-minute video below with highlights of the beach release filmed May 22, 2010. Also find out more about the Wild Amelia Nature Festival by reading article in Amelia Island Living eMagazine.
It was a bit chaotic trying to capture the actual water release, moving down to the waterline with all the onlookers. But see nice close ups of this beautiful green sea turtle and scenes of Main Beach Park, on Amelia Island, Florida.
While this released turtle was brought down from Jekyll Island’s rehabilitation center, sea turtles (mainly loggerheads) nest every year on Amelia Island during May through October. The local group who monitors the nests is the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch. There are plenty of folks around here who care about sea turtles. Today’s event is yet another good deed done.
MAY 23 IS WORLD TURTLE DAY
Did you know that May 23 is World Turtle Day? According to the U.S. Humane Society, turtle day “was initiated in 2000 by the American Tortoise Rescue, a turtle and tortoise rescue organization founded in 1990. The group brings attention to turtle conservation issues and highlights ways each of us can help protect these gentle but jeopardized animals.”
According to the American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) website, “World Turtle Day was started to increase respect and knowledge for the world’s oldest creatures. These gentle animals have been around for about 200 million years, yet they are rapidly disappearing as a result of the exotic food industry, habitat destruction and the cruel pet trade,” says Susan Tellem, one of the founders of ATR. “We are seeing smaller turtles coming into the rescue meaning that older adults are disappearing from the wild, and the breeding stock is drastically reduced. It is a very sad time for turtles and tortoises of the world…many beautiful sea turtles are losing their lives this month thanks to BP’s uncontrolled oil spill off the coast of Louisiana.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP TURTLES AND TORTOISES
The U.S. Humane Society suggests 12 Things To Do For Turtles. See how you can help give turtles a break…
W. B. Lawson
Editor, Amelia Island Living
