Rehabilitated sea turtles released in Oak Island

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — A crowd gathered along the coast Tuesday to watch as 29 rehabilitated sea turtles made their way back into the ocean after months of recovery.

Spectators cheered from the sidelines as the turtles — 16 green sea turtles and 13 Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles — slowly returned to the water.

The turtles had suffered from cold-stunning during the winter months, a condition similar to hypothermia that leaves them unable to move or feed. Because sea turtles cannot regulate their body temperature like birds and mammals, many became stranded on beaches in colder waters.

“In December, we got these turtles from the New England Aquarium. They were rehabbed in Baltimore, and we drove them about 7 and a half hours from Baltimore, Maryland,” said Kira Canter.

Kira Canter, assistant rehab biologist with the National Aquarium in Baltimore, said Oak Island was selected for the release because ocean temperatures were warm enough for the turtles to return safely.

She also noted the strong community turnout for the event.

“It’s so exciting that we can share what we do with all these people, get them interested in sea turtles, let them know a little bit about what’s going on and different ways that they can help us, it’s truly amazing to see the amount of support we can get from these,” said Canter.

Canter said releasing 13 Kemp’s Ridley turtles — the most endangered species of sea turtle — is especially meaningful.

“It’s amazing that we can put so many of these endangered species back out into the ocean, giving them another chance at life,” said Canter.

Suzan Bell, coordinator of the Oak Island Sea Turtle Protection Program, said the event also served as an important opportunity for public education.

“I love the way the National Aquarium was very education with our public and they were able to speak with the public and share the turtles, everybody had the chance to see the turtles and that’s why they came today, and that is one of the purposes of our program is to help care for and protect, but also to educate the public on, you know, how our sea turtles are endangered and how we need to care for them,” said Bell.