Students to release turtle hatchlings into Gulf Stream

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — By Tuesday morning, seven sea turtle hatchlings will be swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and Cape Fear Community College teamed up to release the baby turtles.

Some of the turtles are a few weeks old, while others are a few months.

The Sea Turtle Hospital rescued the turtles after they hatched, but couldn’t make it to the ocean.

While most releases happen on the beach, volunteers say the babies wouldn’t have the energy to get where they need to go.

Instead, a group of marine technology students will release the babies directly into the Gulf Stream, where they should end up anyways.

The release is just one part of a 7-day excursion for the students.

Over the next week they will also release a small research boat into the Atlantic Ocean and visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Norfolk Regional Center.