3 Rehabbed Sea Turtles Returned To Ocean In Point Pleasant Beach

POINT PLEASANT BEACH, NJ — As a volunteer carried him down the beach, Teddy Swims had his flippers going so fast it almost looked like he was clapping.

The juvenile hybrid sea turtle was being released into the Atlantic Ocean off Jenkinson's in Point Pleasant Beach, one of three sea turtles being released Tuesday after rehabilitation stays with Sea Turtle Recovery.

Sea Turtle Recovery is a nonprofit organization and the only sea turtle rehabilitation facility in New Jersey. It is based at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, but is a separate nonprofit, officials with the organization said.

The group drove the three turtles down from Essex County for a 7 a.m. send-off on Tuesday, sending them home after several months in the facility.

The organization has been in operation for seven years. With the release of the three turtles on Tuesday — Teddy Swims, Taylor Drift, and Lulu — the organization has rehabilitated 122 turtles, officials said.

Sea Turtle Recovery broadcast the release live on Facebook; the video can be watched here.

Taylor Drift, a juvenile Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, was the first one to be released. She had come into the rescue in December after being cold-stunned in Massachusetts, according to the rescue's website.

Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, the smallest sea turtle species in the world with adults reaching 2 feet in length, are listed on the endangered species list.

In the Facebook live, the narrators could be heard saying the turtle had come in with a bad respiratory infection. She was estimated to be 5 years old, they said.

Next up was Teddy Swims, and from the moment the volunteer lifted him to carry him to the edge of the waves — where the vibration of the waves in the sand and the smell of the water draws the turtles in — his flippers were in motion.

"Boy was that a good name for him or what," the narrator said.

Teddy Swims was a hybrid sea turtle that organizers believe was a mix of a loggerhead and Kemp's ridley sea turtle. He also came to the rescue in December after stranding because he was cold stunned and had a respiratory infection.

Last released was Lulu, a loggerhead turtle who had come to the rescue in late December very weak and anemic, organizers said.

"She came in so lethargic," the narrators said. "Even when we offered her food it would take her several minutes" before she would eat.

Lulu was equipped with a satellite tag to track her whereabouts and provide important research information, the organizers said.

The ocean temperature was 73 degrees, perfect for the release, organizers said.

"It was such a cool experience to witness and learn more about these turtles and Sea Turtle Recovery’s mission to rehabilitate sea turtles," said Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Doug Vitale, who joined the crowd on the beach to witness the event.

The sea turtle releases are made public for everyone to enjoy and learn about sea turtles, with the goal of promoting Sea Turtle Recovery's work and garner donations for the organization.

"We're so happy they're going back into the ocean but it's sad for us to see them go," the narrator said.

Sea Turtle Recovery was started by two marine scientists who wanted to do more to help save endangered and threatened sea turtles in New Jersey. Bill Deerr and Brandi Biehl both received their bachelor’s degrees in marine science and have dedicated their lives to saving marine species.

Teaming up with a group of individuals that have committed their time and energy to ensuring that sea turtles have a future, Sea Turtle Recovery was founded, creating the first long-term sea turtle hospital in New Jersey. Sea Turtle Recovery’s life support system uses UV and ozone to provide a safe environment for the sea turtles to heal until they can be released.

In 2016, Sea Turtle Recovery and the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo joined together for conservation. The Turtle Back Zoo donated a 4,000-square-foot facility and in return, Sea Turtle Recovery provides outreach and sea turtle rehabilitation inside the zoo.