Latest news with #Kemp'sRidley
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Miami Herald
10-07-2025
- Miami Herald
‘Angel' wild horse guards sea turtle nest on NC's Outer Banks, photo shows
A rare instance of a wild horse appearing to guard an endangered sea turtle nest was witnessed by tourists visiting North Carolina's Outer Banks. A photo taken July 6 by Wild Horse Adventure Tours shows the horse reclining on the sand, staring through protective tape spooled around the incubating eggs. The eggs require 40 to 60 days to hatch — a period fraught with risk on a beach where off-road vehicles are allowed to drive at speeds of up to 35 mph. 'Everybody gets excited when there's a new turtle nest — and it looks like this one has an extra special guardian keeping watch,' the Corolla-based tour company wrote in a July 7 Facebook post. 'It's been an active season for turtle nesting this year.' The post had racked up 7,800 reactions and comments as of July 10, including some from people who reported witnessing the 'once in a lifetime' moment. 'That's no horse, it's an angel,' MC Mecha posted on the tour company's Facebook page. 'The horse is very smart! Knowing it's protected (the eggs) from all the crazy tourists driving recklessly,' Lori Warren Cole said. 'So undisturbed by the going ons,' Lonna Arnold wrote. A herd of just over 100 wild horses roams the Corolla area of the northern Outer Banks. They are tended by the nonprofit Corolla Wild Horse Fund, which shares volunteers with sea turtle programs such as the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles. 'I thought that picture was so cool,' Corolla herd manager Meg Puckett told McClatchy News in an email. 'It's really hard to imagine something like that would happen and be caught on camera. Where else in the world, right? It's a reminder of what a special place it is.' North Carolina's beaches are 'vital nesting grounds for loggerhead, green and Kemp's Ridley turtles,' the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles reports. Corolla is about a 230-mile drive northeast from Raleigh.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mississippi Aquarium beaver billboards show similarities with new Buc-ee's opening soon
Buc-ee isn't the only beaver flashing motorists on the interstate these days. A new billboard by the Mississippi Aquarium is putting one of its animals in the spotlight, taking its cue from the billboards advertising the new Buc-ee's Travel Center opening Monday, June 9, in Pass Christian. Buc-ee is the beaver mascot for the Texas-based company. The Aquarium used its own beavers as models for billboards on Coast highways that remind motorists to visit the family-friendly venue. "We heard you like beavers. (And clean bathrooms.)," one billboard reads. It, too, is a nod to Buc-ee's, which prides itself on clean restrooms. Another Aquarium billboard says, "We've got beavers, too." "We have quite a bit of different animals here," Aquarium spokeswoman Nicole Martz said in a phone interview. "We pride ourselves on all that we have to offer. We brainstormed a bit and thought it would be a great way to showcase these guys and also show a bit of Southern hospitality — and make people smile." Your questions answered: How big is the new MS Buc-ee's? When does it open? How many gas pumps, electric chargers? It started off with the Aquarium planning its next advertising campaign, to keep things fresh while attracting new and repeat visitors. From there, it grew into a spotlight on beavers and a nod to the new business, expected to bring thousands of new visitors stopping in Mississippi to check out the travel center. "We were thinking about how to keep things fresh and showcase some of our offerings, so we were looking at what animals might not get as much sunshine as they could," Aquarium spokeswoman Nicole Martz said in a phone interview. "The beavers came to mind because they are one of the first things you see when you come into the aquarium. People kind of gravitate towards them." Elvis, B.B. and King, as they are called, are curious critters, native to Mississippi, like the musicians they are named for, Martz said. "They are so adorable," she said. "They are so charismatic and they have their own personalities. They love to learn new things, and they are so much fun to watch." Here's what happened: Mississippi Aquarium releases 10 Kemp's Ridley sea turtles. Scott Gregory, general manager for Lamar Advertising, said his company works with the Aquarium to get their billboards in strategic locations and make sure the artwork is going to hold up among other things. He said the Aquarium team's creativity is impressive. "We've gotten a lot of positive feedback from that, but really, it's thanks to them," Gregory said. "They are really creative with their design and everything that's going on, right on top of Buc-ee's coming in. They knocked it out of the park with that." "There's definitely lots of buzz in the area," Martz said. "We're all about Southern hospitality and community. We wanted to make people smile and get people talking." Gregory said he enjoys how the Aquarium is using billboards to playfully promote their animals and events. We asked the Aquarium if Elvis, B.B. and King would be attending the grand opening at Buc-ee's as special guests to the travel center's mascot. It seems they will be giving it a miss this time around. "Well, they do like to chew things, as beavers do, so I don't know if they chewed up their invitations, but we're definitely cheering everybody on over here," Martz said. Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at lbeveridge@ Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Aquarium makes play on new Buc-ee's opening with billboards
Al Etihad
29-05-2025
- Al Etihad
Abu Dhabi sends 25 sea turtles home to Arabian Gulf
30 May 2025 00:20 MAYS IBRAHIM(ABU DHABI)The Arabian Gulf welcomed 25 old friends on Thursday, as rescued sea turtles swam back into their natural habitat, capping months of expert care and were released by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) at the beach of the Jumeirah Hotel on Saadiyat Island, in partnership with The National Aquarium and the Yas SeaWorld Research and Rescue marks the latest chapter in EAD's ongoing Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Release Programme, launched in 2016. To date, the initiative has successfully rehabilitated and returned over 1,500 sea turtles to their natural habitat.'This year alone, we've rescued 287 turtles, including green turtles, hawksbills, and loggerheads,' Hind Al Ameri, Section Head of Marine Biodiversity Assessment and Conservation at EAD, told Aletihad. 'Twenty-five were released [on Thursday], and another 25 will follow [on Friday].' Following the Turtles' Journey Al Ameri explained that 15 of the rescued turtles have been fitted with satellite tags to monitor their movements post-release. 'Tagging allows us to track their migratory paths and behaviour after rehabilitation, helping us understand where they feed, nest, and how they adapt back in the wild,' she Dhabi is home to four sea turtle species, the most common of which are Hawksbill and Green turtles. Loggerheads and the rarer Kemp's Ridley also occasionally appear in UAE waters. 'This year, we came across a few loggerheads, which are rarely seen in our waters, and we're tagging them to learn more about the species,' Al Ameri satellite tags are attached to the turtles' shells and activated when the animals surface to breathe, pinging their location to researchers via satellite. This non-invasive technology provides critical insights into turtle ecology and helps shape marine protection strategies, Al Ameri said. What is Cold Stunning? Speaking with Aletihad, Scott McCoy, Zoological Director at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, highlighted the seasonal aspect of turtle rescues. 'Cold stunning is a major threat here. Juvenile turtles, unable to regulate their body temperature, sometimes get caught in cooler waters, becoming immobile and covered in barnacles,' he stunning occurs when sea turtles are exposed to a sudden or prolonged drop in water temperatures, causing their metabolism to slow down dramatically. Unable to swim or feed properly, these stunned turtles often float near the surface or wash ashore. Rescue efforts typically involve warming and rehydrating the turtles until they regain enough strength to survive in the Yas SeaWorld Research and Rescue Center plays a vital role in addressing such emergencies. 'This year, we've rescued 137 sea turtles and over 200 marine animals in total, including sea snakes, birds, and even dugongs and dolphins,' McCoy centre offers immediate and comprehensive care, leveraging over 25 rescue pools, an advanced water filtration system, and a dedicated animal hospital. 'We have a marine life ambulance and a response team that jumps into action when called by the EAD or the public,' McCoy added. 'Once stabilised, turtles are monitored for weeks to months before being cleared for release.'The National Aquarium Abu Dhabi is also lending its expertise to support injured and stranded marine animals. 'We often receive turtles suffering from cold exposure, boat strikes, entanglement, or plastic ingestion,' Head Curator Lewis Cocks told Aletihad. 'Our team provides round-the-clock care, starting with a freshwater bath to remove barnacles, followed by diagnostics and, in some cases, surgical procedures such as fin amputations.'Cocks noted that even turtles with permanent injuries are given the chance to return to the sea. 'For example, turtles that become entangled in fishing lines may require amputation. In some cases, we do release turtles that are missing one or even two flippers, once they've fully recovered and can survive independently in the wild,' he explained. Rescue Meets Community Effort Al Ameri credited much of this year's turtle rescues to public reports. 'If you spot any marine animal in distress, whether a turtle, dugong, or dolphin, call the EAD hotline at 800-555,' she second release on Friday will see UAE schoolchildren actively involved in returning turtles to sea. Ten winning classes, selected through a quirky competition involving otters at the National Aquarium, were given the chance to name turtles and will help release serves as an opportunity to instil conservation values early on and shape the next generation of environment stewards, said Cocks. 'It's important to educate the younger generation by involving children and schools in these efforts,' he added. 'By doing so, we can teach them why we save turtles, why rehabilitation is necessary, and most importantly, what they can do to help prevent harm. One simple but powerful message is to reduce plastic waste by reusing and recycling. Teaching kids these habits early on helps protect the marine environment.' Abu Dhabi's waters support a population of over 6,000 sea turtles. EAD has been actively researching and monitoring these marine animals since 1999 to ensure their conservation and recovery in the region.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Loggerhead turtle nest ties for earliest nest recorded on Pensacola Beach
PERDIDO KEY, Ala. (WKRG) — Escambia County Sea Turtle Patrol volunteers recorded the first nest of 2025 on Perdido Key early Mother's Day morning. Bishop State linemen and trucking students get hands-on workforce training Despite gloomy weather conditions, eagle-eyed patrollers were able to spot the nest. This is the earliest nest recorded on Perdido Key and ties for the earliest nest ever recorded on Pensacola Beach, according to Escambia County officials. They said May and June are the busiest nesting months for the area. Loggerheads make up 90% of turtle nests in Escambia County. Other species include greens, leatherbacks, and the rare Kemp's Ridley. Eggs will incubate for about 60 days before the baby turtles venture out into the Gulf. Emerald Coast Utilities Authority may soon stop adding fluoride to drinking water It is recommended to use no flashlights, leave no belongings, and fill hazardous holes along the beach to help protect nesting areas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
