LOOK: Brevard Zoo helps save 39 sea turtle ‘washbacks’

The Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center cared for and rehabilitated 39 green and loggerhead sea turtles who were pushed back to shore after their habitat was disrupted.

Strong storms and winds offshore can disturb Sargassum where young sea turtles go for shelter and food while they grow.

“It disrupts the Sargassum and pushes them back to the beach,” said Shanon Gann, sea turtle program manager at Brevard Zoo.

“Their life-cycle is kind of disrupted. That’s where they would be living and hiding from big predators.”

Gann said the Sea Turtle Healing Center was brought 39 turtles from up and down the Brevard County coastline this past week.  Staff and volunteers cared for them to bring them back to health.

“These turtles are double lucky because they made it back to us,” Gann said.  “A lot of those that have been disrupted from where their Sargassum rafts maybe didn’t make it back to us at all.”

On Thursday morning, the turtles were driven down to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton.  They were transported via boat back to the Sargassum weed lines.

Gann said anyone who finds washbacks should immediately call the Sea Turtle Preservation Society at 321-676-1701 or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission at 1-888-404-3922.