On December 3rd and 4th 2008 two of the Geogria Sea Turtle Center’s pint sized loggerhead sea turtles were released into the Atlantic Ocean. Ace and Jewel were loggerhead hatchlings that came to the center this past summer. Ace is known as a “straggler hatchling”. Meaning that for some reason or another he was unable to make it out of his nest. He was found when researchers on Jekyll performed a nest excavation, where they dig up the nest to take an egg inventory. Jewel was brought to the GSTC from Florida and is referred to as a “washback”. During the months of July-October when loggerhead sea turtle nests hatch, often the weaker hatchlings don’t make it out into the Gulf Stream. Sometimes, being in this fragile state of health and even bad weather can be accountable for seeing increased numbers of hatchlings that are washed back on shore.
Ace and Jewel were both taken care of by the staff and volunteers at the GSTC, until this past week, when they headed back to the open ocean. When sea turtles leave their nests they make a mad dash for the ocean. Their food stores give them just enough energy to make it to the Sargasso Sea (the middle of the Atlantic Ocean), where they will then ride the currents for up to 10 years. They float in Sargassum weed, which is packed full of larval fish and small crabs for hatchlings to eat. By this time of the year, all of the hatchlings would be well on their way to that sea catching rides in the Gulf Stream. Unfortunately, for Ace and Jewel, they were a long way from the Gulf Stream and cooler near shore temperatures were preventing them from being released. In order to have a better chance of survival, they needed some assistance making it to the Gulf Stream…
Help came in the form of a 92 foot Research Vessel from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, in Savannah, Georgia. For the second year in a row, Captain Raymond Sweatte and his crew of the R/V Savannah came to the sea turtles’ rescue. Sweatte and crew, along with scientists from SKIO offered to take Ace and Jewel and chaperones Amy Hupp and Max Maurer for a two day adventure to get the turtles into the warmer waters they should naturally be in at this time of the year.
Ace, the stronger of the two, took off running at the first stop, the R2 navy tower. Here the scientists onboard were gathering data on substrate biota, plankton levels, and core sampling with the ultimate goal of determining what critters are present in the water column at various depths during the night versus day. Jewel was a bit more apprehensive and didn’t have the courage to swim off into the big blue. She was scooped up and taken further southwest the following day to the R8 tower and released in warmer water. At both of the release sights, other larger loggerhead sea turtles were spotted which gives hope that they will find their new home suitable for a long and happy life.
The entire staff and volunteers of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center along with Ace and Jewel would like to extend a special thanks to, Captain Raymond Sweatte, his fantastic crew and the Scientists of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography for their continued support. The R/V Savannah is used by scientists of SKIO and elsewhere to conduct Oceanographic research in the coastal waters of the southeastern US.
Best Wishes,
Amy Hupp
Rehabilitation Technician I
