PONCE INLET, Fla. (WSVN) — Hurricanes Humberto and Imelda have made waves in the Atlantic Ocean in more ways than one, causing major trouble for sea turtles on Florida’s east coast.
Tuesday morning, Turtle Patrol Volusia found a young green turtle on the beach with a big chunk of its shell missing. It was taken to the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet, where despite their best efforts, it did not survive.
It’s not clear what caused the piece of the turtle’s shell to crack, but it is far from the only one to have been washed ashore.
Alyssa Hancock with the Marine Science Center said the waves caused by these storm systems are wreaking havoc on marine life. In terms ot sea turtle hatchlings, those lucky enough to make it to the water are being kicked back into the sand.
“They’re not able to just float and take good breaths. They’re actually getting tumbled in those waves,” she said. “They will kind of get stuck in that seaweed, that sargassum, and once that washes on shore, they’ll come out of the surf, but then they’ll actually be stuck in that.”
The Marine Science Center said it has about 80 young turtles in its care that are recovering victims of storms in the Atlantic.
“We actually get them in pretty lethargic, and once they’ve washed up, they actually can’t get back out to the ocean on their own,” she said.
As the little ones float around in a shallow pool at the Marine Science Center, they’re in the process of being rehabilitated to full strength.
“We give them fluids with some dextrose, which is sugar, to kind of help give them a little bit of energy, and then we’ll actually try them in some shallow water and make sure that, you know, they’re in water and they’re able to try and be offered food as well,” said Hancock.
The Marine Science Center urges anyone who sees a washed up turtle to call them at 386-304-5545.
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