About 100 people gathered at Ponce Inlet Beach in Florida to watch six green sea turtles and a brown pelican return to the ocean after months in a wildlife rehabilitation facility.
Here's what to know
WFTV reported that Marine Science Center staff and volunteers held the public release at Ponce Inlet Beach, where they returned all seven animals to the wild. The public release let residents and tourists watch the final stage of the animals' recovery as they returned to the ocean.
The animals had been receiving veterinary treatment since April for issues including fishing-line entanglements, hooks, infected injuries, and other illnesses. The pelican was among some of the animals that had become tangled in fishing line.
Because all six turtles were juveniles, volunteers carried them past the first waves so they would have room to swim against the current, WFTV reported.
The outlet also noted that Mangrove Snapper, one of the juvenile turtles, briefly lost ground when a strong wave pushed it back toward the shore, where it ended up in a volunteer's arms before being taken out again.
More background
According to the center, injuries like these are unfortunately common and largely result from human activity. Fishing line, hooks, and other debris can directly harm marine wildlife. Even if animals survive encounters with these human-made traps, they often need months of intensive care before they can return home.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
This year alone, the Marine Science Center has treated about 243 sea turtles, plus nearly 250 hatchlings washed back ashore during nesting season. Turtle Rehabilitation Manager Allie Bernstein told WFTV that the organization has now treated more than 21,000 turtles since opening in 2002.
As Bernstein put it to WFTV, "This is what we're here for. We want to be able to educate the public, and we also want to get the animals we rehabilitate back out there and get them part of the breeding population so sea turtles can live on as long as possible."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
