Shack’s Release
A team from Newport Aquarium is in North Carolina, bringing Shack back to Shackleford Banks. After spending this past year at Newport Aquarium, growing and thriving, he’s ready to return to the ocean. Here’s Shack’s homecoming, told from Newport Aquarium Senior Biologist, Jen Hazeres, and Water Quality Specialist, Cameo VonStrohe.
Jen and Cameo with Shack, ready for the return to the ocean.
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
A busy day ahead! We started at NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. The biologists prepared the turtles for the boat journey. It’s the same way we did when we prepared Shack for the trip back to North Carolina – applied an eye salve and ointment on shells and flippers.
Newport Aquarium diver, Kathy Folk, joined Jen and Cameo for the release.
Newport Aquarium diver, Kathy Folk joined us on the trip, to release Shack back into the ocean.
We traveled to the dock at Morehead City. This is where the volunteers (total of about 70 passengers) had a chance to meet and greet the turtles before boarding the Carolina Princess.
After about a two hour ride out, we reached warmer waters so it was time to anchor for the release. The water temperature was 74 F, depth 98 feet, latitude 34.27.477, longitude 76.17.969.
33 healthy young loggerhead sea turtles were released about 20-miles offshore – they ranged in age from 2-weeks-old to a 2-year-old.
Photo Courtesy: NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Out on the boat today, to release hatchlings and yearlings, were teams from Mystic Aquarium, Adventure Aquarium (our sister aquarium), Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, National Aquarium in Baltimore, NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, NC State Aquariums Roanoke and NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher.
Thanks to NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, 33 healthy young loggerhead sea turtles were released about 20-miles offshore, near the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. They ranged in age from 2-weeks-old to a 2-year-old.
Aquarium Works 