JUNO BEACH, FL-- Accompanied by agencies from near and far, turtles by the truckload arrived in Juno Beach Wednesday, so that they could go home.
"We've got Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Disney, Sea World, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Clearwater Marine Aquarium is on their way, Georgia Sea Turtle Center in Jekyll Island is on their way," said Meghan Koperski, FWC Sea Turtle Biologist.
It's obvious this cold weather has really taken its toll on the Sea Turtle, but the good news is, this is a community that really cares about the Sea Turtle. So turtles don't have to go too far, to find help.
"Just the way the community, I mean we have had so many great donations. Home Depot, Publix, I mean everybody has really been chipping in and helping us with supplies, because we are burning through it so fast," said Melissa Ranly, Hospital Coordinator for the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
It's not just the cold temperatures, but the extended period of time the cold has lasted that has created staggering numbers of turtles needing to be rescued.
"Over the entire state we've collected about twenty five hundred turtles and counting, because they are still coming in today," said Koperski.
And as it turns out, our area happens to be a great location for a homecoming.
"Well this is the place the state recommended we release the sea turtles. It's warm enough and about as far south as we want to go to release them," said Dan Conklin, Aquarium Supervisor for Sea World in Orlando.
It took massive amounts of collaboration to get to this point, as well as a strategy that was put together very early on. But this effort is not nearly at an end.
"The sooner we can get them out the better it is for them, but I think we're going to have some animals that require some longer term care. And since we still have animals coming in right now it's probably gonna be a couple of weeks to a couple of months," said Koperski.
Still, for those who witnessed the event today, it was a wonderful sight to behold.
"They look really really happy," said a little girl, watching the releases from the beach.
And for those who took part in the release initiative, it is something to be proud of.
"Being able to get these turtles out here is the best feeling in the world. I mean this is an endangered species that really can't afford to lose the numbers that we would be losing it they're not getting care," said Ranly.
