Finding Kylie and Riley

After several weeks of special care, two endangered sea turtles are now skimming the waves and water of the Mississippi Sound, just hours after their release near the Ken Combs Pier in Gulfport. News 25’s Tanner Stewart takes us on a ride in the Gulf with the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies as they release Riley and Kylie back into their natural habitat.
One small step for man, but a giant leap for Kylie. A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle now basking in the warm Gulf Waters after weeks of rehab. Not far behind her is Riley, another one of the endangered sea turtles finding his way back home in the sound after special care at the IMMS. IMMS Veterinarian Dr. Debra Moore said, “We were really excited to see these sea turtles go back to their natural habitat. It’s beautiful to see them recovered from whatever medically.”
A bittersweet moment for these caretakers, but they won’t lose track of Riley and Kylie. Before the two turtles were released back into the sound, they were equipped with satellite trackers so IMMS researchers can trace their journey in the Gulf. Marine conservation ecologist Dr. Eric Pullis said, “We don’t have a lot of opportunities to follow them in almost real time to see what they are doing when they are not in trouble and that’s what the satellite takes give us.”
These tracking devices will not only help the experts at the center track the turtle’s movement, but you can too at home from along the Mississippi Sound. “On the IMMS website go to IMMS.org there will be a link on there that says track the turtles and if you click on that there will be a link to track the location of these two animals,” said Dr. Pullis.
If history repeats itself, we’ll likely see them at some point along the Coast horizon where there’s plenty of good food to choose from. “They probably will stay within the Mississippi Sound and hang around. They primarily eat blue crabs and other crabs they are opportunistic feeders,” said Dr. Moore.
Workers with IMMS have rescued more than one thousand turtles over the last six years. While the threat of fish hooks, pollution, and other hazards still lurk in the water, Riley and Kylie have a better shot at life this time around as they once again navigate the channels of life, possibly living to the ripe old age of 80.