Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI) is happy to announce that 40 cold-stunned green sea turtles will be released into the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, Jan. 30. The event will be at 11 a.m. Eastern at Salinas Park Gulf side, on Cape San Blas, in Port St. Joe, Fla. The address is 280 Cape San Blas Road, Port Saint Joe, Fla.
The actual release time is pending loading and travel time; if the turtles are delayed, that information will be shared on the event page as well as with representatives on site. Again, please note, the event will be held on the Gulf side of the Cape, not the Bay side.
During cold snaps, sea turtles can become cold-stunned (they enter a comatose state) by the frigid temperatures in shallows bays and estuaries below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The sea turtles being released were brought into rehab at GWMI during the cold weather this past week. The public is invited to attend this event. Please remember that all sea turtle release events are subject to change in the event of poor weather conditions.
This event requires help from many organizations that rescue, transport, rehab, and release the turtles. A huge thank you to everyone for their assistance, including Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, FWC Law Enforcement, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Geological Survey, Florida Coastal Conservancy, Northern Gulf Turtle & Coastal Research Group, Indian Pass Sea Turtle Patrol, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Rish State Park, Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City Beach Turtle Watch, GWMI staff and all volunteers that are working together to make this possible.
