In celebration of NOAA Fisheries Sea Turtle Week, we are proud to share with you some of the sea turtles we've had the privilege and honor of releasing back into the ocean.
These fortunate animals were rehabilitated by NOAA's Sea Turtle facility in Galveston, and through a collaboration with Flower Garden Banks NMS, were released from R/V MANTA. These are their stories.
Click on a picture below to see a larger, hi-resolution image
Photo credits: FGBNMS
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Hawksbill
April 2011
This young hawksbill was found stranded on Pirates Beach on the West End of Galveston Island. It was very lethargic, with heavy algae growth and gooseneck barnacles on its shell. It had a constriction wound on a front flipper, and was missing 3/4 of a rear flipper. This turtle was released in July 2012 close to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
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Image: NOAA Fisheries |
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Hawksbill
May 2011
This juvenile hawksbill was found stranded in sargassum mats on Quintana Beach in May 2011. It was lethargic, emaciated and covered in a lot of algae. It was released close to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in July 2012.
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Research Specialist Marissa Nuttall releases a
rehabilitated hawksbill. Image: FGBNMS/Schmahl
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Hawksbill
May 2011
This little hawksbill was found stranded on Crystal Beach on Bolivar Peninsula in May 2011. It was very lethargic and emaciated and had gooseneck barnacles growing on its shell. It was released close to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in July 2012.
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Image: FGBNMS/Schmahl |
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Hawksbill
June 2011
This juvenile hawksbill was found stranded on Crystal Beach on Bolivar Peninsula in June 2011. It had algae growth on its head and shell, as well as some gooseneck barnacles on its shell. It was released close to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in July 2012.
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NOAA Sea Turtle Technician Andy Kraus releases
a rehabilitated hawksbill. Image: FGBNMS/Schmahl |
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Hawksbill
July 2011
This little hawksbill was found stranded in Galveston Island State Park in July 2011. It was tangled in an onion sack and had constrictive wounds on both front flippers. One flipper was so damaged that it had to be amputated. It also had extensive algae coverage on its shell. This turtle was released happy and healthy close to FGBNMS in August 2012.
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R/V MANTA chef extraordinaire, Jeremy Fox, helps with
a sea turtle release. Image: FGBNMS/Hickerson |
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Hawksbill
July 2011
This juvenile hawksbill was found on Crystal Beach on Bolivar Peninsula in April 2011, covered in algae growth and some barnacles. It had a wounded rear flipper tip with bone protruding. It recovered and was released in July 2012 close to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
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Research Coordinator Emma Hickerson hands a rehabilitated turtle to Research Specialist Marissa Nuttall. Image: FGBNMS Schmahl |
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Hawksbill
August 2011
This juvenile hawksbill was found stranded on the beach along the Seawall in Galveston in August 2011. It had a nylon woven sack wrapped lightly around the neck and front flippers. It was released close to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuar in July 2012.
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Image: NOAA Fisheries |
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Hawksbill
August 2011
This small hawksbill was found stranded on Jamaica Beach on the west end of Galveston Island in August 2011. This turtle was very lethargic and emaciated, with a severe constriction wound on the left front flipper caused by an onion sack. The flipper injury was severe enough to require amputation, but the turtle made a full recovery and was released in July 2012 close to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
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Research Coordinator Emma Hickerson hands a turtle to Research Specialist Marissa Nuttall. Image: FGBNMS/Schmahl |
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Kemp's Ridley
July 2012
This Kemp's Ridley was hooked on the front flipper by a fisher on Crystal Beach, Bolivar Peninsula in July 2012. It was released offshore Galveston in September 2012.
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Image: NOAA Fisheries |
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Kemp's Ridley
July 2012
This Kemp's Ridley was entangled in recreational fishing gear east of the San Luis Pass in July 2012. A hook was removed, and the animal was released offshore Galveston in September 2012.
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Captain Mike Shetler helps with a sea turtle release.
Image: FGBNMS/Schmahl
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Kemp's Ridley
August 2012
This Kemp's Ridley was hooked in the shoulder by hook in August 2012 by a fisher on a Galveston fishing pier. It was released offshore Galveston in September 2012.
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Image: NOAA Fisheries
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Kemp's Ridley
August 2012
This Kemp's Ridley was caught by fishers using hook and line at Crystal Beach, Bolivar Peninsula in August 2012. Hooks (new and old) were removed from the tongue of the turtle. Shell injuries were noted along the margins of both sides of the shell, but were probably old. It was released offshore Galveston in September 2012.
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Image: NOAA Fisheries |
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Kemp's Ridley
August 2012
This Kemp's Ridley was caught by fishers on Crystal Beach, Bolivar Peninsula in August 2012. It was released offshore Galveston in September 2012.
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Captain Darrell Walker holds a sea turtle ready
for release. Image: FGBNMS/Schmahl |
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Kemp's Ridley
September 2012
This Kemp's Ridley was found stranded on the beach by the Sea Isle subdivision on the West End of Galveston in September 2012. It was lethargic, and had a lot of algae growth over the head, body, and flippers. It also had a front flipper missing. It was released offshore Galveston in September 2012.
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Image: NOAA Fisheries |
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Kemp's Ridley
September 2012
This is a Kemp's Ridley that was found stranded on the beach by the San Luis subdivision near Surfside Beach in September 2012. It was missing half of a front flipper and all of a rear flipper. It was released offshore Galveston in September 2012.
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Image: NOAA Fisheries |
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Kemp's Ridley
September 2012
This Kemp's Ridley was caught on a hook by a fisher on a Galveston fishing pier in September 2012. It was released offshore Galveston the same month.
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Craig Howard, from OceanGate Foundation, helps with a sea turtle release. Image: OceanGate Foundation |
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Kemp's Ridley
September 2012
This little Kemp's Ridley was caught on a hook at a Galveston fishing pier in September 2012, and was released that same month offshore of Galveston.
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Image: OceanGate Foundation |
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Kemp's Ridley
September 2012
This is an x-ray of a Kemp's Ridley that was caught on hook and line west of San Luis Pass in September 2012, and was released that same month offshore of Galveston. In some instances xray images are obtained to determine hook ingestion and placement to guide the actions of the rescue and rehabilitation crew.
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Image: NOAA Fisheries |
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