Double Sea Turtle Release off Juno Beach Thursday Morning
Who: Tiffany & Seabastian
When: Thursday, August 23, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.; pre-release procedures begin at 10 a.m.
Where: Loggerhead Marinelife Center (14200 US Highway One, Juno Beach)
What: LMC will release two sea turtle patients, Tiffany & Seabastain off Juno Beach.
Tiffany and Seabastian will be prepared for release from LMC starting at 10 a.m. LMC docents will convey the history of the turtle’s journey and final preparations to visitors, with a procession to the beach for the release to follow. We recommend arriving early for a good spot on the beach!
If you can’t attend be sure to tune into our Facebook LIVE!
Tiffany is an adult female hawksbill that was found in the St. Lucie Power Plant intake canal on Dec. 18, 2017. The turtle was covered with barnacles, including small barnacles on the skin. This is an indication of chronic illness. The initial bloodwork was not diagnostically significant. Radiographs showed evidence of minor intestinal impaction. Tiffany started on fluids and antibiotics and was put into freshwater to remove epibiota that covered the turtle’s body.
Seabastian is a juvenile loggerhead patient that was found at DuBois Park on April 15, 2018. The turtle arrived with a heavy epibiota load that included barnacles, algae, and leeches due to its inactivity. The fresh water soak, that lasted about 36 hours, helped to rid the turtle of the leeches. The barnacles were manually removed to allow for clear radiographs. There were several fractures in the bones of the back part of the carapace from an unknown cause. The turtle’s nasal area also sustained an unknown injury. Upon arrival, the patient’s bloodwork showed severe anemia, hypoglycemia and overall poor health. Seabastian received IV parenteral nutrition, supplemental iron, subcutaneous fluids and several antibiotics.
*Weather may impact the scheduling of this release. Please check marinelife.org and LMC’s social media channels for updates.