IMMS sea turtle release

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport released six sea turtles back into the Gulf Coast waters on Saturday morning after their rehabilitation had been complete in the institute.

The sea turtles were released right on the beach next to Courthouse Pier in Gulfport. IMMS tells News 25 that all but one of the turtles was captured accidentally by fishers and the others came from a dredge. The Boy Scouts of America were also there to assist in the release of these creatures.

This was a very exciting day for IMMS because this is the goal for all of the sea turtles they receive. IMMS hopes their love of sea turtles was fostered into the community of Gulfport with this release.  “We had a lot of people here today and they all seemed very excited about the sea turtles, lots of clapping and jubilation when the animals go back to the water. I just hope everyone will bring that home with them and use it as motivation to recycle, use less plastic, and pick things up off the beach. We have a really unique ecosystem here that fosters these critically endangered turtles.”

If you accidentally hook a sea turtle they say do not unhook and release them, but to put the turtle in a safe place and call their hotline at 1-888-SOS-DOLPHIN.