Sea turtle release set for Tuesday in Juno Beach

JUNOBEACH— Nicklen, a large juvenile loggerhead sea turtle, is scheduled to be released Tuesday from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Nicklen will be prepared for release into the Atlantic Ocean from the center , 14200 U.S. 1 in Juno Beach, starting at 10:30 a.m.

The turtle release, a regular event that usually draws a big crowd, is free and open to the public.

Nicklen was found last October floating in the Jupiter Inlet near Dubois Park. The turtle had barnacles cov- ering the shell and flippers and a buoyancy issue most likely caused by an infection in the intestines, according to Loggerhead officials.

After antibiotics and fluids, hospital staff have cleared Nicklen for release into the turtle’s ocean home.

Ni c k l e n was named i n h o n o r o f N a t i o n a l G e o - graphic photographer and marine biologist Paul Nick- len, a globally acclaimed photographer who has devoted his life to igniting conversations about the planet’s health — including speaking at Loggerhead’s Eighth Annual Go Blue Awards Luncheon last October.

A history of the turtle’s journey and final preparations will be explained to visitors by an education docent before Nicklen’s release.

Log gerhead Marinelife Center is a nonprofit organization that rehabilitates and researches sea turtles. About 50 injured sea turtles are released annually. About 2,000 hatchlings are released each year into the Atlantic Ocean.

T h e o r g a n i z a t i o n a l s o counts sea turtle nests on the 10-mile stretch of beach from Juno Beach to the Martin County line.

About 225,000 visitors come to the center on U.S. 1 annually, according to Loggerhead.