Dylan swims home

Tue, Jul 1, 2008

By ANNA FERGUSON

The Brunswick News

After a few false starts and with a final bob of her head, Dylan safely made her way off the Jekyll Island beach Monday.

Droves of Dylan devotees flocked to the sandy shores behind the Jekyll Island Convention Center to see off the loggerhead sea turtle, who has been a media darling since her initial rescue nearly a decade ago.

Waving a "Goodbye, Dylan" sign as the turtle was ushered into the water, Rande Simpson stood among hundreds of spectators. On her homemade sign, Simpson had pasted images of Dylan, from her early years to now.

Like many of the event attendees, Simpson has followed Dylan's story, from the time she was found as a struggling hatchling on the Jekyll Island beach to her release from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. And, like many fellow fans, Simpson was struck with a true bittersweet sense.

"It's sad to see her go, but she's better off in the wild," said Simpson, a Jekyll Island resident. "I'm very excited for her. I just hope she makes it."

The morning brought few hiccups in the release procedure, with Dylan's main foe being the low tide and high mud along the Jekyll Island beach. Having spent her whole life in captivity – first at the Tidelands Nature Center, then a two-year stint at the George Aquarium, followed by the last year at the sea turtle center – Dylan was unaccustomed to the stickiness of the ocean bottom, said Dr. Terry Norton, veterinarian at the center.

With the crowd softly chanting Dylan's name, Norton escorted the loggerhead into the ocean, wadding into waist-deep water to ensure that she headed in the right direction. Just before Norton raised his hand to signal that Dylan was, indeed, safely swimming away, the turtle popped her head from the ocean, giving her final send off. She then tucked back under the waves and was gone.

"When her face came up, it was all covered in mud," Norton said. "I think that was the reason she had a little trouble getting out at first. But it was a pretty standard release. It went well."

To ensure that she was strong enough and ready for life on her own, Norton and the center staff gave Dylan a final physical exam Sunday. Weighing in at a hefty 150 pounds and proving herself in good health, Norton said Dylan is fully prepared for life in the wild.

"She passed with flying colors," Norton said.

A satellite transmitter was secured to the turtle's shell, allowing the center to track her progress and see how she is fending in the wild.

If all goes as expected, Dylan will head toward the Gulf stream, then circle back to area beaches to feed in the coming months. Eventually, when she is ready to lay eggs, Norton has hopes Dylan will make her nest on Jekyll, perhaps near the very spot were she was rescued, he said.

Dylan's saga is one that has escalated to a national news level. Even Minnesota-native Marlen Slettehaugh knew the turtle's tale. While visiting friends on Jekyll Island Monday, Slettehaugh heard about the turtle release extravaganza and, realizing she knew parts of the story, made sure to be present for the send-off party.

"This is such a great event and we are so excited to be here to be a part of it," Slettehaugh said.

Standing among Slettehaugh and the estimated 800 others who crowded along the Jekyll beach, Bill Lattimer, chair of the Jekyll Island Foundation, was pleasantly surprised by the turnout.

Dylan's time in the spotlight has not only made people increasingly aware of the plight of sea turtles, but it has also brought extra attention to the center and Jekyll Island's mission for conservation, he said.

"This is just unbelievable and so exciting," he said. "To see how all of these people are here to support Dylan, the center and the island, it is really a gratifying day."

* Track Dylan online at www.seaturtle.org/tracking/

Reactions

"Exciting" is a word that was tossed around quite a bit Monday as the Dylan faithful flocked to Jekyll Island to send the loggerhead off.

* Tom Woolfe, animal coordinator for Tidelands Nature Center, first saw Dylan when she only weighed 35 pounds. "It's incredible to see her now. We had her for three of four years, and now she's ready to be on her own. I've gotten to see the whole process. Normally, you don't get to be there from start to finish."

* Watching her grow into her own during the past year, Dr. Terry Norton, head veterinarian at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, has come to know Dylan well. "She looks good and she is ready to go. The whole experience with her has been very good and a very educational ride."

* Jordan Wallace, 6, and her mother, Lisa, one of several sets of adoptive parents to Dylan, drove from their home in St. Augustine, Fla., for the release. "I thought the whole thing was really neat," Jordan said. "I'm glad she got to go back to the ocean."

* Jeff Krenner, assistant manager of husbandry at the Georgia Aquarium, got to know Dylan when she was living in Atlanta. "It's amazing to see her go now. This is the first release of any animal for the aquarium. It's a very proud and exciting day."

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