Kemp's Ridley Turtle Hatchling Release Saturday 8/03/2013
By 2
From Padre Island NS Division of Sea Turtle Science & Recovery
A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatching release is scheduled for 6:45 am on Saturday August 3 at Padre Island National Seashore, on North Padre Island. No fee is charged to watch our public hatchling releases. 
However, sometimes hatching speeds up or slows down, necessitating cancellation of the scheduled public release. So before you come out to the release, MAKE SURE to check this Facebook page or call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 to check if the turtles are ready for release on schedule. If the release must be cancelled we will post a cancellation message on this Facebook page and on our Hatchling Hotline. If these cancellation messages have not been done by 2:00 am on Friday August 2, then the release will be held as scheduled.
RELEASE DIRECTIONS: The release will be held in front of the Malaquite Beach Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore. To attend, follow park road 22 out to Padre Island National Seashore. No fee is charged to attend the release. If the National Seashore Entrance Station is open, identify that you are attending the release, and you will not be charged park entrance fees. About two miles after the National Seashore Entrance Station, you will see a hatchling release sign on the right and the large Malaquite Beach Visitor Center parking lot on the left. You should turn left there, park your vehicle in the large lot, and meet on the deck of the Visitor Center. A park ranger will meet you there to deliver a program about the turtles and lead you to the release site. However, the hatchling release sign and ranger will not be present until about 6:20 am.
At the release, you should not bring or eat food since it will attract gulls, and you should not wear white colored clothing or white colored footwear or take photos using a flash, since all of these will disorient the hatchlings.
After the release, you are welcome to visit our Visitor Center, which will before the end of the release. We have sea turtle and other educational displays, Adopt-A-Turtle packets, and other items for sale. If our Concessions store is open you will be able to purchase drinks, snacks, items to use on the beach, and souvenirs. Both can be accessed on the deck where you met for the program before the release. If you want to spend the day at the National Seashore after the release, we ask that you return to the Entrance Station to pay entrance fees, which help support some park facilities.
FUTURE RELEASES: As of Friday morning, 4 clutches have not yet been released from the group expected to be released between about August 1 and 5. It is too early to know how many clutches from this group will be released in the next 24 hours and hence whether any will be remaining in incubation from this group and potentially available for a public release on Sunday or Monday.
Hatchlings from the next group of 4 clutches will be released sometime between August 10 and 13.
Hatchlings from the last Kemp's ridley clutch will be released sometime between August 23 and 25.
However, sometimes hatching speeds up or slows down, necessitating cancellation of the scheduled public release. So before you come out to the release, MAKE SURE to check this Facebook page or call the Hatchling Hotline at 361-949-7163 to check if the turtles are ready for release on schedule. If the release must be cancelled we will post a cancellation message on this Facebook page and on our Hatchling Hotline. If these cancellation messages have not been done by 2:00 am on Friday August 2, then the release will be held as scheduled.
RELEASE DIRECTIONS: The release will be held in front of the Malaquite Beach Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore. To attend, follow park road 22 out to Padre Island National Seashore. No fee is charged to attend the release. If the National Seashore Entrance Station is open, identify that you are attending the release, and you will not be charged park entrance fees. About two miles after the National Seashore Entrance Station, you will see a hatchling release sign on the right and the large Malaquite Beach Visitor Center parking lot on the left. You should turn left there, park your vehicle in the large lot, and meet on the deck of the Visitor Center. A park ranger will meet you there to deliver a program about the turtles and lead you to the release site. However, the hatchling release sign and ranger will not be present until about 6:20 am.
At the release, you should not bring or eat food since it will attract gulls, and you should not wear white colored clothing or white colored footwear or take photos using a flash, since all of these will disorient the hatchlings.
After the release, you are welcome to visit our Visitor Center, which will before the end of the release. We have sea turtle and other educational displays, Adopt-A-Turtle packets, and other items for sale. If our Concessions store is open you will be able to purchase drinks, snacks, items to use on the beach, and souvenirs. Both can be accessed on the deck where you met for the program before the release. If you want to spend the day at the National Seashore after the release, we ask that you return to the Entrance Station to pay entrance fees, which help support some park facilities.
FUTURE RELEASES: As of Friday morning, 4 clutches have not yet been released from the group expected to be released between about August 1 and 5. It is too early to know how many clutches from this group will be released in the next 24 hours and hence whether any will be remaining in incubation from this group and potentially available for a public release on Sunday or Monday.
Hatchlings from the next group of 4 clutches will be released sometime between August 10 and 13.
Hatchlings from the last Kemp's ridley clutch will be released sometime between August 23 and 25.
0 comments