TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) – Tybee Island\u2019s North End beach was packed with people watching Westie, a sea turtle, return back to the sea.<\/p>\n
Three years ago, she was a hatchling straggler on Ossabaw Island, picked out by state biologist Mark Dodd.<\/p>\n
\u201cMark had picked out the perfect one and that was Westie,\u201d explained biologist Sarah Alley, who\u2019s been with Westie from the moment she was brought to Tybee Island. <\/p>\n
The Marine Science Center takes these stragglers in and helps them grow for three years, while educating the public about sea turtles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat way kids can meet a turtle even if they live on the coast or all the way up in a landlocked state,\u201d Alley explained.<\/p>\n
Now that Westie, is three it\u2019s her turn to return home. But not without a gift from young conservationist, Lidea Clever.<\/p>\n
Lidea has been taking trash collected during clean up events and turning it into art and selling it. Those proceeds have directly gone toward a tracker for Westie.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that we can see where she goes on a journey,\u201d Clever explained.<\/p>\n
Westie is now the first tagged turtle to be released from the science center. Alley says this data will help biologists understand more about the animals.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t age a sea turtle typically in the wild…we\u2019re able to hopefully see where a three-year-old turtle goes when they\u2019re released,\u201d Alley said.<\/p>\n
While it was bittersweet saying goodbye, everyone is excited for westie\u2019s future, and what lies ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really excited to see where the journey will take her,\u201d Clever said.<\/p>\n
The next sea turtle to be released on Tybee Island will be \u201cOssie\u201d, who will be released sometime next year.<\/p>\n
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