Virginia and New England Aquariums Release Sea Turtles to Make Room for BP Oil Spill Victims

[Robbien]

Source: Zoo and Aquarium Visitor

Virginia Beach, VA - The release of 12 rehabilitated Kemp’s ridley turtles into the warm waters off Cape Charles, VA the morning of June 15 may help future oil-contaminated sea turtles. The Virginia Aquarium and the New England Aquarium have combined their “patients” for this release so that “beds” in their individual facilities might be available for oiled turtles from the Gulf of Mexico.

These highly endangered sea turtles will be returned to their natural habitat at the end of Randolph Ave. beside the Cape Charles Beach Gazebo at 11 a.m., Tuesday, June 15. Virginia Aquarium staff will conduct outreach education beginning at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited.

Read more: http://www.zandavisitor.com/newsarticle-3755-Virginia_and_New_England_Aquariums_Release_Sea_Turtles_to_Make_Room_for_BP_Oil_Spill_Victims

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This lady would welcome the help I expect

Singer Island's sea turtle guardian watches over the nests, worries about the oil

RIVIERA BEACH — For 15 years, Debbie Sobel has been protecting sea turtle nests on Singer Island.

As president of the nonprofit Sea Turtle Conservation League of Singer Island, Sobel and a group of trained volunteers monitor nesting on a 1.2-mile stretch of beach from the Ocean Mall to just north of Ocean Reef Park.

Sobel also speaks out to defend turtles against threats, including artificial light from nearby hotels, a proposal to create breakwaters offshore, even beach chairs being placed too close to the nests.

But this is no ordinary nesting season. Sobel becomes distraught when she discusses a threat she can't fight: oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Scientists expect the oil to sweep around Florida and up along the state's east coast beaches, including inPalm Beach County. That would be a devastating setback for the nesting turtles she has helped to nurture for so many years.

"Every day when I do my surveys I think, 'How many more days do I have to walk barefoot on the beach?'" Sobel said. "Sad, very sad."

Sobel believes sea turtles will suffer greatly from an oil slick because they must surface to breathe.

What's more, Sobel still has no idea whether authorities in charge of the spill will allow her to help.

To prepare for the possibility of oil coming to Singer Island, Sobel said she and other volunteers have taken online training offered by BP. That training instructs them not to handle any animal in distress on the beach.

more

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/singer-islands-sea-turtle-guardian-watches-over-the-741639.html


and there are these guys:

Thick Oil Hits Bon Secour National Wildlife Rescue

BON SECOUR NWR - The thickest oil we've seen during the 53-days of the Coastal Crisis is washing ashore at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge

News 5 Debbie Williams says it looks like chocolate floating in the surf. The thick, mousse like oil is very similar to what we saw two days ago in Perdido Pass.

The Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge contains 7,000 acres of wildlife habitat for migratory birds, nesting sea turtles and the endangered Alabama beach mouse. It was was established by Congress in 1980 to preserve the coastal dune ecosystem, to protect threatened and endangered species, to provide compatible recreational opportunities, and to serve as a living laboratory for students and scientists.

Bon Secour is French for "safe harbor," which is ironic now that BP's booming system has failed to keep the refuge safe.

http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/thick-oil-hits-bon-secour-national-wildlife-rescue/895184/Jun-11-2010_12-46-pm/

[dipsydoodle]

1. Nice to have some good news

even if the background to it is unfortunate.

[PfcHammer]

2. This a nice gesture

[flyarm]

3. A hearty thank you to Virginia and New England Aquariums..I have posted here numerous times

that in my back yard ..the beaches of SW Fla..I have had no less than 5 Turtle nests in each of the past 10 years..this year..none..I too and many many others have fought hotels and condo's to keep white lights off our beaches during nesting time..our nesting time started mid April..there are still no nests on my beach..I feel as though I lost family members..

For ten years I have watched for the mothers markings on the beach to find and isolate the nests from beach goer's..

Like I said ..this year ,.no nests.

I worry about my dear turtle neighbors..have they gotten caught in the oil..have they gotten lost and can't find their way to my beach..

This is sad beyond words.

But thank goodness there are good people willing to help our neighbors of the sea..

I always wanted to share this with grandchildren..now I have a grandchild and I just wonder..will the turtles survive for children in the future to see and find joy in ..as I have..our children will be the ones who will lose so much in this disaster..as well as our friends from their homes in the sea water that they so kindly share with us.. that has now been destroyed for greed and money..

[eppur_se_muova]

4. The BP disaster has me worried about these rare critters ...

I never heard of leatherbacks in NW FL before this article, but there have been a few sightings. I hope they move out ahead of the oil, but I don't believe they migrate in the Summer.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=119564&mesg_id=119564

[flyarm]

5. Where I am we have the loggerhead Turtles..eom

[Dover]

6. I just hope the east coast is not impacted by the oil as some have predicted.

That might re-expose these newly released turtles to further crisis along with all the other critters along eastern shores.