17 July 2008

Have You Seen this Leatherback?



A concerned local resident sent me photos of this leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) that was hit during Blue Angels practice on Friday. Boat strikes are fairly common, and easily treatable for hard shelled sea-turtles. Leatherbacks are a little trickier.



You can see the prop marks as white streaks on the leatherbacks dark shell. It's hard to treat this type of turtle, but he or she may be healing on its own. Please call the National Park, the Coast Guard or FWC if you see this turtle in the water or on the beach. You can also call a BioTech (Kirsten or Monica) directly at 850-232-3640.



We'd all love to see less of jellies they thrive on,



and more little leatherback hathclings!

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International Coastal Clean-Up!

The 2008 Coastal Clean-Up on Santa Rosa Island was a great success, but we can work together to make everyday a Coastal Clean-up Day... Help us keep our beaches beautiful!

For details on the 2009 coastal clean-up efforts in Pensacola or in your area, or other ways you can help, click here.

Hello World!

Hello World!
Which way to the sea?