SeaWorld Orlando Cares For Turtle Hatchlings

Brace yourself for the cutest Caretta caretta you’ve ever seen. Aquarists at SeaWorld Orlando are providing round-the-clock care for three endangered loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings (aka the Caretta caretta) this week. Park rangers in Cape Canaveral, FL transported the reptilian refugees to SeaWorld after rough seas caused by Hurricane Bill prevented the week-old trio from trekking from their nest to the waters off the Cape Canaveral National Seashore. Once the seas calm, SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Team will return the turtles to the wild off the coast of Juno Beach.

Loggerheads are listed as threatened by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Every year hatchlings face many “human” obstacles during their journey from their nest on the beach to the shoreline. Artificial lighting, noise and beach activity can confuse causing them to head away from the ocean and toward parking lots and city streets. To discover more about loggerheads, and Seaworld’s animal care program, go to www.seaworld.org.

(Photos courtesy SeaWorld. )