Page 9 - Palm City Spotlight - June '24

Palm City Spotlight, Page 9

SuMMer FuN

Loggerhead Marinelife to educate guests on identifying sea turtle crawls, nesting,

Center Launches Immersive and the hatching process. If a nest is located, guests will
witness trained staff excavate the eggs from a sea turtle
Sea Turtle Experiences For nest and release any healthy hatchlings found along the
way. (Available Wednesday to Sunday from 7 to 8:30
Summer a.m., age 10 and up.)

Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) is offering a variety
of immersive and educational sea turtle experiences to enjoy
this summer from May to August. The summer’s active turtle
nesting season offers visitors the opportunity to encounter sea
turtles through experiences that are only available at LMC.
Registration for these activities is now open.
At LMC, guests of all ages can participate in fun Summer sea turtle adventures at the center include:
and interactive programs to learn about sea turtle Hatchling Discovery Program
rehabilitation and ocean conservation. Each year, LMC Start the morning by witnessing a live sea turtle nest
team members and volunteers treat nearly 100 sea turtles excavation while logging scientific data. The program
and 1,000 hatchlings at their oceanside facility. begins with a brief beach walk and ecology introduction
Guided Turtle Walk
Guests can observe and take part in the nesting and
egg-laying process of loggerhead sea turtles in June and
July, when nesting is at its peak. When a loggerhead sea
turtle emerges and begins the egg-laying process, the
group is led down to the beach by the center’s authorized
scouts to witness this unforgettable experience. (Available
Tuesday to Saturday from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., age 10 and
up, participants must be able to walk at least half a mile
on the beach. Beach-mobile transit wheelchairs can be
requested, but are furnished based on availability.)

Evening Guided Tours
LMC after-hours is when the fun really begins! Join
the center throughout June and July for an exclusive
tour to meet LMC’s current sea turtle patients. With an
experienced guide, guests will learn about sea turtles’
incredible nesting behavior on our local beaches. This
tour is a perfect pairing to the Guided Turtle Walk.
(Available Tuesday to Saturday from 6 to 7 p.m., age 10
and up.)
Hatchling Release
Guests will have the
unique opportunity to
observe hatchlings making
their way to the ocean.
The experience begins
with a brief presentation
about sea turtles, their
nesting behavior, and the
hatching process. Then,
LMC staff will lead guests
down to the beach to view
hatchlings being released
into the ocean using night-
vision technology for the
most authentic experience.
(Available Monday to Sunday from 8 to 10 p.m., age 10
and up, participants must be able to walk at least half a
mile on the beach. Beach-mobile transit wheelchairs can
be requested, but are furnished based on availability.)
Have a “turtley” awesome summer at LMC! For more
information on guest experiences and how to register,
visit https://marinelife.org/experiences/.
See answer in this paper. Photos by Loggerhead Marinelife Center,
Deano Cook, Christian Del Rosario and Jeff Beige