Cold-stunned green turtles returned to Cape
The Gulf World Marine Institute released four cold-stunned juvenile green sea turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico on Friday morning, Jan. 17 at Salinas Park Gulfside on Cape San Blas.
During cold snaps, sea turtles can become cold-stunned, in which they enter a comatose state, by the frigid temperatures in shallow bays and estuaries below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The sea turtles being released were brought into rehab at the marine institute on Jan. 10 due to a recent cold weather event.
“Thankfully these turtles were all healthy enough for a quick turnaround, allowing them to return to the gulf promptly,” said Lauren Albrittain, stranding coordinator at Gulf World Marine Institute, Inc. “We are very grateful to those involved in the search, rescue and transport of these sea turtles, including U.S. Geological Survey, Gulf County FWC Law Enforcement, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Florida Coastal Conservancy, Indian Pass Sea Turtle Patrol, Tyndall AFB Natural Resources, USDA, and FWC biologists.
She said all four turtles were medically cleared by veterinary staff and and for release by
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
If you see a stranded or deceased dolphin, whale or sea turtle, please immediately report to Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1-888-404-3922 or #FWC on your cell phone.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.