Green Sea Turtle at Fernandina’s Marina

June 19, 2024

Amelia Island is very proud to be a sea turtle nesting site. Today I had the pleasure of watching this little guy, Henry, a green sea turtle at Fernandina’s Marina, enjoy a buffet of moss and algae. He started eating at the north end of dock “A” and fed all the way south to the gangway. I call Howard little, because he was only about 20 – 24 inches long. He is probably between five and 15 years old. A full-grown adult green sea turtle can reach lengths of up to 5 feet, with just the shell being over 3-feet, and they can weigh in at nearly 400 pounds. Astonishing yet is they can live to be more than 80 years old!

We have a few turtles “in residence” at the boat docks. Barnacle Bob is a green turtle with barnacles growing along the bottom of his shell. Mike, may be our youngest green sea turtle at Fernandina’s Marina as he has no barnacles yet, then there is Jerry who has a barnacle on each shoulder. If you notice in the picture of Howard, he has a lone barnacle in the center of his shell. We also have Kenny who had a little accident and is currently recovering at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island. However coincidental it may seem, I’m told his name had nothing, originally, to do with the character Kenny from South Park.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is Georgia’s only sea turtle education and rehabilitation facility. Open daily, the Center offers the public the opportunity to learn about sea turtles and see how turtle rehabilitation works. They offer a variety of interactive experiences, in indoor and outdoor programs that run year-round.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida is home to five species of sea turtles. There is the loggerhead, the leatherhead, Kemp’s ridley, hawksbill, and the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) such as Howard. When Howard becomes an adult, he will be the only one of the five turtles that are strictly herbivorous. The green sea turtles at Fernandina’s Marina primarily feed on seagrasses and algae, which is why their fat has a greenish tint, giving them their name. Adults often graze in shallow coastal areas with abundant seagrass beds. Fernandina Beach’s coastal waters provide an ideal habitat for these turtles.

Federally, this turtle is listed as Endangered, and has a global ranking of Rare, and a Florida rating of Imperiled. This fascinating creature is beautiful to watch, and you may want to take a stroll downtown and try to spy a green sea turtle at Fernandina’s Marina… while you still can.

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