TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. () — After three years of care, education, and gaining local celebrity status, Westie the loggerhead sea turtle is returning to the ocean.
On Sept. 6, the Tybee Island Marine Science Center (TIMSC) will release Westie into the Atlantic waters for the first time since she was discovered as a hatchling on Ossabaw Island.
The public is welcome to attend and witness Westie’s significant moment in front of the North Beach center crossover. The release is scheduled for the morning hours, though a specific time has yet to be determined.
Westie arrived at the center weighing just 21 grams. Today, she tips the scales at around 55 lbs. and is ready to return to her natural environment. For the last three years, she has served as a Marine Debris Ambassador and has become a visitor favorite.
What makes this release special is that Westie will become the center’s first sea turtle with a satellite tracker, thanks to 12-year-old local activist and author Liddy Clever who raised the funds through her educational organization and social media, “Sea Life with Liddy.”
“Being able to track Westie’s location, even for a short while, will provide exciting new information that the science center has never been able to see before with our previously released sea turtles,” said curator Sarah Alley, who helped raise Westie from day one. “It’s a bittersweet moment to raise them for three years and then see them off.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring signs to cheer on Westie as she embarks on her ocean adventure.
From hatchling to ambassador to ocean explorer, Westie’s journey is a reminder of the difference education, care and a little determination can make.
