Coast Guard members support release of 7 endangered turtles at Texas beach

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Stephen Lehmann | Petty Officer 1st Class Maximilliano Castillo of Coast Guard Station Aids to Navigation Corpus Christi carries an endangered green sea turtle to the shoreline in Port Aransas, Texas, Sept. 2, 2013. Coast Guard members teamed with volunteers for the Animal Rehabilitation Keep to safely release seven turtles back into their natural habitat. (Photo courtesy of Lee Harrison)  

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, UNITED STATES

09.02.2013

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Lehmann 

U.S. Coast Guard District 8 PADET Houston

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Coast Guard crew members from Sector Corpus Christi helped return seven endangered sea turtles to the Gulf of Mexico, Monday, as part of a release program run by the Animal Rehabilitation Keep.

"The Coast Guard provided valuable assistance to the Animal Rehabilitation Keep by escorting the sea turtles to their home in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Lee Harrison, Coast Guard Auxiliary member and executive director of Friends of the ARK. “Marine Protected Species are a vital component of the Coast Guard’s Ocean Steward program that investigates and educates the public about such things as throwing debris, plastics and other pollution in our waters. All seven released turtles had to be rehabilitated after being injured by mostly human errors in judgment, causing severe injuries to our sea turtles. It only seems right that human intervention then helped these beautiful creatures return to the sea."

The seven turtles consisted of five green sea turtles, one loggerhead sea turtle and one Kemp's Ridley sea turtle.

The Animal Rehabilitation Keep is a nonprofit organization that rehabilitates birds, especially aquatic birds, sea turtles, terrestrial turtles and tortoises and oversees their release into a hospitable, native environment.

• Date Taken: 09.02.2013
• Date Posted: 09.04.2013 16:32
• Story ID: 113078
• Location: CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, US