State’s first center for sea turtles opens at Jekyll Island

Published 9:38 pm Sunday, June 17, 2007

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — The Georgia Sea Turtle Center opened Saturday, giving the state its first facility devoted to sea turtle rehabilitation, research and education.

Along with providing care for sick and injured sea turtles, the center will have education programs for the public. The center offers exhibits on sea turtle life, conservation and rehabilitation.

Saturday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony drew a crowd of about 2,000 people to this popular tourist spot off the southeast Georgia coast.

“It was a tremendous success,” said Eric Garvey, senior director of marking for the center. “There was a lot of excitement and we’re looking forward to enabling all of Georgia to enjoy the great museum and facilities.”

The opening was held on World Sea Turtle Day.

The center currently is home to three loggerhead sea turtles.

Dylan, discovered as a hatchling on Jekyll Island about eight years ago, is being prepared to be released into the ocean. While staffers refer to Dylan as male, it’s nearly impossible to know a sea turtle’s gender until it reaches adulthood, which may take 30 years.

Golden Boy, rescued in Georgia in 2006, was initially cared for at Orlando’s Sea World.

The center’s third turtle is Nick, a 7-year-old who was rescued in May and temporarily housed for two years at Atlanta’s new Georgia Aquarium.

The Sea Turtle Center provides a means to wean Nick from human contact.

When Nick is ready for release, the turtle will be tagged with a transmitter and returned to the Atlantic.

Loggerhead sea turtles are classified as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. An adult loggerhead can weigh up to 350 pounds.