- HubPages»
- Education and Science»
- Life Sciences»
- Marine Biology
Murphy the Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Murphy's Release
Murphy the Loggerhead Turtle Released into the Ocean
Since his rescue in 2002, Murphy the Loggerhead Turtle who was stranded as a hatch-ling, has been lovingly cared for - first at the Jekyll Island 4H Center, then at the Georgia Aquarium. He was held until he was big enough to be safely sent to his natural habitat. He was finally released to the ocean on August 31, 2011 in Jekyll Island, Ga. The Ocean is a place he has never known but always yearned for.
Perhaps though, he did not realize it was what he longed for? If you watch the video of his release (see below) you can tell he is a little apprehensive about the whole thing. It's really kinda cute. His handlers keep trying to point him to the water and he keeps trying to go in a different direction.
Poor guy. You know he's been spoiled for so long in captivity! Maybe he's just not sure what's out there!
Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Cool Stuff to Know
Loggerhead Sea Turtles in the Southeastern U.S. have an average weight of 250 lbs (113 kg) and are about 3 feet long.
Adults are reddish-brown, with a slightly heart-shaped top shell and a pale yellowish bottom shell.
We don't know how long they live, but they reproduce until they are around 35 years old.
Loggerheads were named for their large heads, which help them feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conch. In the southeastern U.S., mating occurs in late March to early June and females lay eggs between late April and early September. Females lay three to five nests, and sometimes more, during a single nesting season. The eggs incubate approximately two months before hatching sometime between late June and mid-November.
Immediately after hatchlings emerge from the nest, they begin a period of frenzied activity. At this time the hatchlings move from their nest to the surf, are swept out to the ocean, where they will continue swimming away from land for up to several days.
After their initial swim, they generally take up residence in areas which consist of accumulations of floating material, such as seaweed.
Somewhere between 7-12 years old, oceanic juveniles migrate to nearshore coastal areas and continue maturing until adulthood.
Read more at NOAA.gov
Photo: Loggerhead Turtle escaping a net equipped with turtle excluder device (TED) via NOAA
Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)
The Turtle who Flies
Her flippers,
like wings,
were made to travel
Murphy's Release
Jeff Corwin of ABC's new series "Ocean Mysteries" and Heather Dziedzic, a senior aquarist as the Georgia Aquarium, release Murphy into the ocean.
Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Did you know
Pacific loggerheads migrate over
7,500 miles (12,000 km) between
nesting beaches in Japan
and feeding grounds off the
coast of Mexico!
Wow!
Letting go - Nesting baby Loggerheads get special attention at Bald Head Island
Click on the picture to see the latest from their blog
Turtle: The Incredible Journey
Beautiful film from the Save Our Seas Foundation
A Story of One Brave Loggerhead - Turtle: The Incredible Journey
I watched this beautiful film with my son, and am so thankful to be able to take the opportunity of educating him on the plight of the Loggerhead in such a meaningful way. It follows the miraculous journey of a loggerhead from her birth on a sandy Florida beach to her 10,000 kilometer trip around the Atlantic. She meets both friend and foe, some natural, others, tragically, man-made. It is sad at times, but not always so, leaving room for hope, as she shows us through her eyes the struggle and joy of what it must be like to live in her mysterious and breathtakingly beautiful ocean world.
The Fate of the Loggerhead is in our hands
Once plentiful, the loggerheads
today are in decline,
facing serious threats from
human activity,
such as miles of maiming hooks
courtesy of bottom longline fisheries.
Earthjustice.Org
Developments on the fight to save endangered Sea Turtles
- Celebrity turtle returned to sea - San Antonio Express-News
Milagro became a minor celebrity after surviving life-threatening injuries and being placed in a tank at Texas A&M-Galveston's Sea Life Facility while he waited for the proper time for his release. - New dredge gear required to protect turtles - Metro - The Boston Globe
The new rules are angering some local scallopers who say the change to new dredges could end up costing them thousands of dollars and reduce their catch. - Hooking fish, not endangered turtles
Novel tuna-fishing gear may avoid unintended avian and turtle casualties - Victory! Pacific Leatherbacks Gain Protected Habitat | The Beacon: Oceana's Blog
Oceana is the largest international ocean conservation organization. We work on a limited number of strategic campaigns to stop ocean pollution, protect marine wildlife, promote responsible fishing, stop offshore drilling, ocean acidification, and mo
The Loggerhead Turtle - Beautifully Photographed
Want to help the Loggerhead Sea Turtles?
Here's How!
Visit the Sea Turtle Conservancy
Read about the research of Sally Murphy on the Marine Turtle Conservancey Program sponsored by the South Carolina Dept of Natural Resources.
Get your free bumper sticker
Last but not least, you can help get the word out by "Squid-Liking" this lens (see below) and tweeting about it!
Beautiful Video from Georgia Outdoors - Loggerheads: The Epic Journey
Follows Nesting Loggerheads and their Hatchlings
Click the picture to watch at Georgia Outdoors.
If you live near or visit their Nesting Areas - Here are more ways to help
What you can do to help sea turtles in Nesting Areas:
(from SCDNR Marine Turtle Conservation Program)
- Do not shine lights on a sea turtle or take flash photography
- Turn out all interior and exterior lights (flood and deck) visible from the beach, dusk to dawn, from May through Oct.
- Close blinds and drapes on windows that can be seen from the beach or ocean
- No flashlights, fireworks or bonfires on the beach
- Encourage your local and county administrations to enforce their lighting ordinances.
- Do not disturb a nesting sea turtle and observe her only from a distance.
- When boating, lookout for sea turtles both inshore and offshore. Sea turtle mortality from boat interaction is on the rise.
- Fill in large holes dug on the beach at the end of the day because adult and hatchlings sea turtles can become trapped in them.
- Remove tents, chairs, and other items from the beach and dunes at the end of the day that could obstruct a sea turtle when nesting
- Adopt-a-Nest (www.seaturtle.org/nestdb/adopt)
Turtle Tracks in the Sand
More info on Murphy and the Loggerhead
- Monday Reads: The Loggerhead Sea Turtle Edition | Earthjustice
Earthjustice: The Loggerhead Sea Turtle - Sea Turtles in Peril | Earthjustice
Sea Turtles in Peril - Jeff Corwin films sea turtle release on Jekyll Island for new ABC show | Jacksonville.com Mobile Edi
JEKYLL ISLAND - Murphy, a loggerhead sea turtle raised in captivity, disappeared into the Atlantic's murky waters. But there will be a chance to see him again.A camera caught it all as Jeff Corwin and Georgia Aquarium staff members released Murphy. - Atlantic loggerhead sea turtle
Our Mission Our Story Meet the Staff - Loggerhead Sea Turtle
South Carolina Dept of Natural Resources - Video from Murphy's Release
First Coast News Video - SEATURTLE.ORG - Sea Turtle Nest Monitoring System
Sea Turtle Nest Monitoring System Find us on: Facebook | Twitter - Georgia Aquarium | Support Us | Research & Conservation
Georgia Aquarium is the world’s largest, and Atlanta’s premier event venue in the heart of downtown.