Featured Image Credit: Georgia Aquarium
As warnings have been issued and evacuations have been mandated in south Florida due to Hurricane Irma, residents have traveled inland to safety. Staff at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida recently made a road trip to Georgia Aquarium, with some turtly tiny little passengers.
Late on Thursday night, Loggerhead Marinelife Center team members arrived in Atlanta along with more than 50 sea turtles from the facility, which is located just north of West Palm Beach, Fla. Throughout their stay, the turtles will be cared for by the Aquarium and Loggerhead Marinelife Center team members until they are able to head back to Florida after the storm passes, depending on how the hurricane will impact their facility.
The turtles arriving in Atlanta include loggerhead, green and leatherback turtle hatchlings, and adult green and loggerhead sea turtles. Georgia Aquarium is proud to offer a temporary home and uninterrupted care to these rescued turtles and to work collaboratively with Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit education and ocean conservation facility located on the Atlantic Ocean in Palm Beach County, Fla. They are one of 12 sea turtle rehabilitation facilities in Florida. The facility houses a variety of exhibits, live sea turtles, and other coastal creatures.
All Loggerhead Marinelife Center sea turtles are rescues and will be rehabilitated with the ultimate goal to be released back into the ocean. For information on how to help Loggerhead Marinelife Center and to make a donation, please visit https://www.marinelife.org/help/.