Today, Congressman Garcia participated in the "Tour de Turtle" program with the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. At the event, he helped with the release of "Pine Tyme", a loggerhead sea turtle that will be sent back into the wild with a satellite tracking device.
"Today's release of Pine Tyme was a humbling experience" said Garcia. "Here in the Florida Keys, we are so fortunate to be blessed with such a diverse ecosystem. Anytime we can facilitate processes that preserve and help strengthen our natural surroundings, we are creating a more sustainable environment."
Initially, Pine Tyme was found by Mosquito Control employees. She was injured and unable to dive, but has now made a full recovery with the help of the team at The Turtle Hospital in Marathon -- an organization dedicated to rehabilitating and releasing sick and injured sea turtles.
The Tour de Turtles program was started in 2008, to help track the migration of sea turtles using satellite telemetry. According the program's website, it "will track individual sea turtles, for approximately three months, as they leave their respective nesting beaches and race to complete a "turtle' marathon." Pine Tyme has a tracking device attached to her shell and can be followed by visiting the Tour de Turtles website.
The program, created by Sea Turtle Conservancy, was established to create a "fun, educational journey through the science, research and geography of sea turtle migration." Through partnerships and with the help of sponsors, this project follows species, from their nesting beaches to their foraging grounds.