Hatchlings—-It’s that time of the year for the Hospital. In the last two weeks we have received 32 Loggerhead hatchlings. Seven of which were disorientations (hatchlings which headed toward a land-based light source rather than the moon)  and the other hatchlings were found caught in the bottom of their nests entangled in roots and grass. They will spend about a month or so at the hospital. Once they are eating, swimming and diving the hatchlings will be released back to the wild.

UPDATE: Eighty five sea turtle hatchlings were released into a sargassum weed beds eight and half miles offshore Marathon this past week. These three week old turtles were scheduled to be released last week but Hurricane Rita’s glancing blow to the keys delayed their trip. The founder and director of The Turtle Hospital, Richie Moretti, first took a trip with Brian Hall of Coral Reef Air Tours during Brian’s morning radio show “Fish Eye in the Sky”. Brian’s show locates weed lines for fishing enthusiasts of the Keys. But on this particular day, Mr. Hall and Mr. Moretti were looking for a weed line to protect and feed the hatchlings. The weed line was spotted  and Mr. Moretti was able to return to the ground where the Coast Guard of Marathon was awaiting to take the precious cargo back to the ocean.

Caption: Richie Moretti, of The Turtle Hospital and Kevin Scalabrin of the Marathon Coast Guard station place eighty five sea turtle hatchlings on board of the 27 foot boat to take the turtles eight and half miles off shore, to the sargassum weed line awaited.