In response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and its partners
acted quickly to protect and conserve threatened and endangered sea turtles
from the possible impacts of oil.
Working with BP’s Vessels of Opportunity program,
rescue boats went out daily to the eastern zone of the spill area
where FWC staff recovered approximately 130 visibly oiled sea turtles.
"Oil!"
Spotters stood on the boats’ fishing towers
and captains maneuvered close enough
so biologists could capture turtles with handheld nets.
Using GPS, biologists recorded the location of the turtles
and collected data on environmental conditions.
They closely examined them for oil
took samples, measured, weighed and photographed each turtle.
Biologists pit tagged
and returned those not impacted by the oil to the gulf.
Impacted turtles were transported to Gulf World in Panama City Beach
for primary care where they were cleaned of all external oil
and received initial treatment until they were stable enough
to be moved to a secondary care facility.
Once medically cleared for transfer,
the turtles were taken to SeaWorld Orlando
where they completed their rehabilitation
and were housed until they met established release criteria.
The first release of rehabbed sea turtles
occurred on August 18th at Cedar Key.
Twenty-three Kemp’s Ridleys received an honorable send off
by Adm. Thad Allen and Dr. Jane Lubechenco,
administrator of NOAA, with FWC and NOAA staff assisting.
Another effort involved the hundreds of turtle nests
on Florida’s Panhandle beaches
which are marked by FWC-authorized permit holders
who walk the beaches every morning during nesting season.
After much discussion and deliberation,
scientists decided to take the unprecedented step
to have the hatchlings released in the Atlantic Ocean.
FWC biologists and its partners
worried that when hatchlings from the nests made it to the Gulf,
currents would likely bring them into contact with floating oil,
creating a deadly environment for the tiny critters.
Beginning in early July, excavations of nests began three days per week.
Biologists decided the least risky and most feasible approach
would be to move the entire clutch of eggs, late in the incubation period,
between days 45-50, after gender was already determined
and the magnetic cues that help turtles return to their beach of birth
hopefully would have already been imprinted.
When the clutch of eggs was uncovered,
each egg was slowly lifted out of the nest
and then laid on top of sand from the nest
in specially prepared foam coolers.
A wire coupler was placed in the cooler on the first layer of eggs
so the temperature of the nests could be accurately monitored.
The coolers were taken to a holding area
where they awaited arrival of the turtle trucks from FedEx.
These specially outfitted trucks drove from the Panhandle across the state
to Cape Canaveral where the Kennedy Space Center
offered climate controlled storage facilities.
Biologists closely monitored the coolers and, as hatchlings emerged,
they were released under the cloak of darkness
and made their way to the oil-free waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
More than 13,000 hatchlings have been released since early July.
These incredible journeys for the sea turtles of Florida’s Northwest Coast
could only have been accomplished through partnering with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service,
the National Park Service,
Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection
and the collaboration of many partners and individuals
determined to give these turtles a fighting chance for survival.