Several Endangered Sea Turtles Injured During Holiday Weekend
Gulf World Marine Institute Stranding Team had an unusually high number of injured Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles during the holiday weekend due to increased water recreation activity in Bay and Walton County. On Thursday the 22nd two of these endangered species required surgery to remove the fishing hooks that were lodged in their esophagus and are now currently in rehabilitation. With a continuing pattern on Saturday, three additional Kemp’s Ridley’s arrived with monofilament line, hooks and a boat strike. The one sea turtle with the severe boat strike injury was humanely euthanized. Four turtles remain in rehabilitation until medically cleared to be released back into the Gulf of Mexico.