IMMS hosts Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle release

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies along with Mississippi State vet program partnered to release four more Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles.

These four turtles were originally part of 30 turtles that were sent from New England after being cold stunned during the winter.

When cold stunned, these turtles can get very sick and need medical care to recover.

While beachgoers enjoy watching the turtles, IMMS also tries to incorporate an educational aspect to the releases to teach about the preservation of these creatures. IMMS Stranding Coordinator Theresa Madrigal said, “We’re always very excited to have the public engaged in these releases. It’s a good way for us to show what we do here on the Coast and how the public can help on their end. If they see something they can call our hotline to report it.”

There are still 12 turtles remaining out of the 30 waiting to be released.