JUNO BEACH, Fla. — All staff workers in the veterinary hospital section of the Loggerhead Marinelife Center have either left or given their two week or a month notice and none will be there by early May.
And once again, there are no turtles at the site’s 26 pools that house the sea animals.
There were four turtles last week. One healed and trudged back to the Atlantic Ocean last week.
So, why are there no turtles at Loggerhead?
Contact 5 obtained a chain of emails written last week when four turtles were on site, and water quality issues resurfaced.
Veterinary Tech Sam Clark cites Loggerhead’s "history of brown, turbid water, and quickly fluctuating salinities (salt content)" as being unhealthy are "similar to how our previous (water quality issues) began last fall."
Veterinarian Maria Chadam concluded in an email, "We should relocate three of our turtles. The fourth turtle can be released."
The fourth was released, the other three have been moved to facilities in Boca Raton and Clearwater.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which determines when and if Loggerhead Marinelife Center can take in more turtles, told Contact 5 that Loggerhead will not be able to take in more turtles until water quality and staffing issues are addressed.
WPTV asked a representative for Loggerhead Marinelife Center for comment. She told Contact 5 that board members are considering talking to us next week. Loggerhead’s Chief Executive is on vacation and was unavailable for comment.