Second Sea Turtle Hatchling Release 7/1/2014

Via the Padre Island National Seashore Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Our second Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatching release for 2014 is scheduled for 6:45 am on Tuesday July 1 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 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 Tuesday July 1, 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. It will take 20-30 minutes to drive from the hotels and residential areas on North Padre Island to the release site. 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 (starting at about 6:20 am) and lead you to the release site (at 6:45 am). For those arriving early, please note that the hatchling release sign will not be present until about 6:15 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. OTHER RELEASES LIKELY THIS WEEK: Several clutches of eggs are hatching and we will likely hold more public hatchling releases starting at 6:45 am on some other days this week. Check back to this Facebook page or our Hatchling Hotline by about mid-day tomorrow for the latest information on the next upcoming release. We look forward to seeing you at a release this year!