(Carolyn Cole/LA Times/June 14, 2010) – Blair Witherington, a research scientist with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, helps the rescue effort.Two very disturbing reports about the BP drilling disaster’s affects on Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles were published recently1. The offshore oil slick and Gulf of Mexico currents mix to create a deadly combination.”Young turtles swarm around oil spill” – Houston Chronicle article – “Thousands of endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchlings are congregating in areas near the BP oil blowout as predicted – with deadly consequences, a Florida researcher said Thursday.”2. A BP turtle rescue team was prevented from collecting endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles trapped in the offshore oil slick.SeaTurtles.org article and video interview of Louisiana boat captain hired to rescue animals injured by offshore oil.”Death by Fire in the Gulf” LA Times article.LA Times photos of offshore sea turtle rescue.This blog has been following the recent wanderings of Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles equipped with satellite tracking devices. “Karen” was tagged and released after she laid 79 eggs near Galveston, Texas, on May 18, 2010. She stayed near Galveston until June 6th when she entered into Louisiana waters near Sabine Pass. She has been swimming east towards the oil ever since. Over the weekend she swam from an area outside the oil danger zone. She is now in the middle of the oil that has drifted to the coastal wetlands, only 50 miles from the Deepwater Horizon well site. We hope one of the turtle rescue boats finds her in time.
