Destin–Fort Walton Beach, FL – May 19, 2025 – This morning at Henderson Beach State Park, a joyful crowd of beachgoers, marine life enthusiasts, and families gathered to witness the Gulfarium CARE Center’s first public sea turtle release of the 2025 season. Under sunny skies and calm surf, three rehabilitated juvenile sea turtles—Riorson, Pee-wee, and Peony—were successfully returned to the Gulf.
This release marks the start of what is anticipated to be a busy season for the CARE Center, which has already rescued and rehabilitated over 50 sea turtles this year. Riorson, a juvenile green sea turtle, was found cold-stunned on Okaloosa Island in January and spent nearly four months in rehabilitation, gaining two pounds before being cleared for release. Pee-wee, a 3.6-pound juvenile Kemp’s ridley, was foul-hooked at the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier on May 13 and quickly treated and released. Peony, another juvenile green sea turtle weighing just under four pounds, was hooked at the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier on May 11 while attempting to snag some mullet bait, and also made a full recovery.
“This was a beautiful way to start our turtle season,” said Tabitha Siegfried, Stranding Coordinator at the Gulfarium CARE Center. “Seeing the public come out to cheer on these animals really speaks to how much people care about marine conservation and our work here.”
The CARE Center remains a cornerstone of the Gulfarium’s mission to protect and preserve marine life along the Emerald Coast. The Gulfarium has also recently expanded its conservation efforts through a new partnership with the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), which has brought three rescued manatees to the park’s new long-term care habitat, Manatee Cove.
If you see a sea turtle in distress, injured, or deceased, please immediately report it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).
Follow the C.A.R.E. Center on Facebook to learn more about sea turtles and the center's rehabilitation efforts. The C.A.R.E. Center and its patients can be visited as part of a general admission ticket to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park.
The Gulfarium CARE Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is proud to act as a beacon for coastal conservation through marine animal rescue and rehabilitation. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made online on the C.A.R.E. Center's webpage or through their Amazon Wishlist.
High-res pictures can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J4pP5kwytOORHUmIgnlti2HAiMD4S1p5?usp=drive_link
