Category: Events and Happenings

It turned out to be a very nice day for Edisto to head back to the ocean.

By the time I got to the beach, there was already quite the crowd assembled and waiting for Edisto’s arrival.

After a bit of a wait, Edisto finally arrived and was taken out of the pickup truck.

It took about 6 guys to haul Edisto out of the truck and deposit him gently onto the beach. I think the large crowd may have spooked him a little because he just kind of stayed there on the beach for a while. They had to pick him up about 3 more times and carry him closer to the water. The device attached to Edisto’s back is a GPS tracking device that will be used to track his movements while he’s out at sea.

With a little bit of encouragement, he started moving on his own toward the edge of the water.

When Edisto finally made it into the water, the crowd sent him off with a great big cheer.

Today’s release was a pretty cool event. There are still a few more turtles recuperating at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital so if you missed this one, there will be others coming up. They can always use donations so if you can, help them out a little.

Another recovered sea turtle is being released back into the ocean this weekend by the SC Aquarium. Any stranded or injured sea turtles found in the area usually end up recuperating in the Sea Turtle Hospital. This weekend Edisto gets to go back to where he belongs. Come on out and watch! Then you can stick around, interrogateask the aquarium staff questions and hang out on the beach.

Edisto’s release at the Folly Beach County Park is going to be held between 11:30 a.m. and noon on Saturday, October 13th. The time is being pushed forward a bit to give the high tide a little time to go out, hopefully allowing us all to be on the beach with the turtle!

Now, a few things to remember:

The County Parks cost $5 per car to park in their facilities.

This is a HUGE, live animal so if there are delays, please bear with us. There are far worse places to be than on the beach waiting for a sea turtle!

It will probably be crowded so be kind to the folks around you, especially if they are small!

The turtle is going in rain or shine.

The most important thing is to have fun! Interact with Aquarium Staff and Volunteers on the beach and enjoy the release.
It’s right toward the end of my volunteer shift at the Aquarium, so I’m going to try to head out there with my camera as soon as I finish. I’ll have to work fast and try to get done a little early so I make it out there on time.