Intern Outing- Coastal Connections Turtle Release

By: Alexander Sylvia

Sea Turtles are an endangered species, yet they are a staple in Florida's ecosystem. I was lucky enough to actually meet one of these beautiful animals at a public turtle release through Coastal Connections. Coastal Connections has a mission of helping not only sea turtles, but helping the entire Indian River County ecosystem. Beyond turtle conservation, Coastal Connections is also involved in environmental education, plastic waste reduction, and Indian River Lagoon Conservation. I got the privilege to go to a public turtle release, where they publicly say goodbye to turtle that has recently been rehabilitated. The turtle, named Turtsiops, was found two months ago with a lot of predator damage and a nasty infection. After rehabilitated at the turtle healing center in the Brevard Zoo, he was released back into the ocean on the beach where he was found. Turtsiops is a green turtle, and a small one at that. Fun fact, his name comes from the Latin name for dolphins, because he was found on World Dolphin Day.

Photos by Joseph Rimkus