Hundreds gather to watch South MS release of one of world’s rarest sea turtles
Hundreds gathered Thursday afternoon in Biloxi as the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies released one of the world’s rarest, and most endangered, sea turtles into the Mississippi Sound.
Goose, a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, was brought to IMMS in April after it was caught by fishermen in Ocean Springs. Mississippi State University and IMMS staff rehabilitated the turtle before clearing it for release.
Despite its endangered status, IMMS marine ecologist Dr. Forrest Collins said this marine species is a mainstay on the Coast.
“Right here in the Mississippi Sound, we’re actually very lucky to where we get a lot of them,” Collins said. “It’s one of the most endangered animals, and we actually get to see a huge plethora of them.”
According to Collins, the Coast’s shallow waters and crustacean populations make the Sound a good feeding ground.
“They usually like to go over oysters, shrimps and shrimp species. It’s pretty much everything that somebody else would like to eat as well,” Collins said.
Earlier this year, the Audubon Aquarium Rescue Team released dozens of the turtles into Gulf waters after rehabilitating them from cold-stunning in Massachusetts.
“It’s really a fun opportunity to get not only the animal back into the wild, but also get the community involved,” Collins said.
Collins said turtles are often hooked or netted accidentally by fishermen along the Coast. Under the Endangered Species Act, it is illegal to catch an endangered species, but accidental catches can be reported to IMMS.
“This community hotline allows us to not only take care of the animals, but also helps protect the people as well,” Collins said.
