Featured Image Credit: www.fisheries.noaa.gov
Earlier this month, a group of endangered sea turtles were released back into the wild. The eight turtle’s were Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles which are endangered species.
Each of the turtles was initially captured by fishing hooks. Although it was accidental, the hooks caused deep wounds to all of the sea turtles. After a long recovery, each of the turtles was thrilled to enjoy the ocean waters again. The release happened on the Mississippi beach of Pass Christian.
According to the mayor of Pass Christian, Chipper McDermott, “It was a perfect day. It really was, and those turtles looked like they were glad to get out of here too.”
These turtles were lucky. Many times, turtles that are caught by fishermen are not as lucky. The hooks can be difficult to get out when handled by untrained hands. The fishermen that caught these turtles called trained officials. The trained staff at IMMS were able to safely remove the hooks. After that, the staff monitored the progress of the sea turtles as they regained their strength. Within a few months they were able to release the turtles.
Releases like this are extremely important to the endangered turtle population. If you happen to catch a sea turtle while fishing, then please report it to the proper authorities.
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