In September of 2007, a charter boat captain noticed a loggerhead turtle floating near the surface of the water in Apalachicola Bay. Thinking it was sick because it didn't dive under the water as he came near it with the boat, he hauled it on board and called Gulf World to pick it up. Bruce Drye of the St. George Island Volunteer Turtlers was asked to help transport it to the Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City, where it spent the next month being treated for an infection. While under treatment it was fed squid, antibiotics and vitamins. It was measured, weighed, x-rayed and given a general examination to determine it's health and sex. It was found to be a female so the staff at GWMP named it Georgia.
Georgia was also fed laxatives with her meals. Laxatives help a turtle pass any obstructions in their bowels. A loggerhead turtle's natural diet is crabs, crustaceans and mollusks, with the occasional floating squid or fish. The shells of these foods can obstruct a turtles digestive tract, and a symptom of intestinal distress because of a blockage, is the inability to dive below the surface. Floating pieces of plastic are also eaten by turtles and while a turtle is being rehabilitated, it's common to find plastic in their waste after being fed laxatives.
Georgia was tagged before her release. A tag will identify her, if she is ever seen again.
Photos of Georgia being released were provided by
Beth White
Ed Tiley, Forgotten Coast Line
John Spohrer, Master Naturalist and Wildlife Photographer
Georgia as she awaits release
Georgia as she is being carried to the beach for release
A crowd gathers to watch Georgia being released at the waters edge
Georgia crawls off the stretcher
Georgia sees the water and begins her journey home
Georgia in a hurry to the water
Georgia enters the water
Georgia returns to her home