"There's
nothing better than witnessing a rehabbed sea turtle as it disappears
into the surf," said Amy Albury, director of sustainability,
FPL. "If the sick turtles we find could talk, they would tell
you that without the help of FPL and the Loggerhead Marinelife
Center, they probably wouldn't have survived much longer in the open
ocean."
Juno
Beach, FL (July 12, 2012) -- With names like Kahuna and Tilly,
you would think they would be hanging out with characters like
Moondoggie in a Gidget movie, but that’s where any similarities
would end.
Tilly
and Kahuna are two loggerhead sea turtles. They are linked to one
another because they were both recovered from a canal at Florida
Power & Light Company’s St. Lucie Nuclear
plant by onsite biologists and then sent to the Loggerhead Marinelife
Center (LMC) in Juno Beach, Fla., for rehabilitation and recently
released.
Tilly,
a teenager in turtle years, was severely anemic, dehydrated,
hypoglycemic and suffered from other maladies when admitted to LMC in
April 2012. Kahuna, one of LMC’s longest admission-to-recovery
residents, appeared to be suffering from every surfer’s worse
nightmare when she was admitted about two years ago – a shark
attack. Part of her left front flipper was missing and there were
several deep lacerations on her right front flipper that required
surgery. In addition, she had developed a bone infection.
Antibiotics, vitamins and nutritional therapy were recommended for
both turtles as part of their respective recovery processes.
“There’s
nothing better than witnessing a rehabbed sea turtle as it disappears
into the surf,” said Amy Albury, director of sustainability, FPL.
“If the sick turtles we find could talk, they would tell you that
without the help of FPL and the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, they
probably wouldn't have survived much longer in the open ocean.”
This
has been a landmark year in monitoring Florida’s sea turtle
population with a record number of sea turtle nests found along
Florida beaches in 2012. Even Kahuna is getting in on monitoring
efforts as she was fitted with a global positioning satellite
tracking device so researchers and turtle lovers can track her
whereabouts.
“FPL
conducts the necessary assessments and does preliminary evaluations
of turtles before they are brought to the Loggerhead Marinelife
Center for treatment,” said Dr. Charles A. Manire, director of
research and rehabilitation, Loggerhead Marinelife Center. “The
company’s comprehensive sea turtle program allows us to share data
and develop an important resource to help these magnificent
creatures.”
Within
days of each other, Tilly and Kahuna made their way back to the ocean
in separate “sand carpet” ceremonies befitting a blockbuster
movie premiere attended by legions of adoring fans. Tilly was
released at a fighting weight of 95 pounds and Kahuna tipped the
scales at 209 pounds as they lumbered into the choppy surf. Tilly,
formerly weighed 86 pounds; Kahuna was 172 pounds when first
admitted.
Media
Contact:
FPL
Media Line
Florida
Power & Light Company
700
Universe Blvd.
Juno
Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
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