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Monday, March 13, 2023Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Releases Three Cold Stun Sea Turtles After Months of Treatment
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released three rehabilitated cold stun sea turtle patients on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at Cape San Blas, Florida. Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center received eight juvenile Kemps Ridley sea turtles back in December 2022 from Cape Cod Massachusetts after a massive cold stun event struck the area. On Wednesday, the C.A.R.E. team was able to release three of these turtles. Daisy weighed 5.5 lbs when she first arrived to the CARE Center and weighed 6.5lbs on the day of
Thursday, January 12, 2023Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Releases Three Rehabilitated Sea Turtles
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released three rehabilitated sea turtles on Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at Topsail Hill State Park, Florida. Grace, an adult female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, weighs 70lbs. Grace was found entangled in a buoy line on July 23, 2022. Stranding coordinator Tabitha Siegfried paired up with Fort Walton Beach Parasailing to rescue Grace right offshore in front of the Four Points Resort on Okaloosa Island. Grace had been reportedly stuck to the buoy line for over 24
Thursday, December 15, 2022Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park Hosts Local Foster Families for annual Breakfast with Santa
On Saturday, December 10, 2022, the Gulfarium hosted Breakfast with Santa for the third year in a row for Feed Fosters of Northwest Florida with the First City Church. This event provides foster children a unique opportunity to celebrate the holidays and honor their foster families. The event welcomed foster children and their families in the panhandle area throughout Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. This year they had 682 kids and their families, totaling 1,037 guests with over 150
Monday, November 28, 2022Holiday Membership Sale! 20% OFF
The perfect stocking stuffer for the whole family! Give the gift of adventure this holiday season. Purchase onsite or use online code JOYOUS at gulfarium.com. Offer is available November 25 - December 31, 2022. 50 % off admission for military families Saturdays & Sundays now- Feb 26, 2023
Thursday, November 10, 2022Gulfarium Press Announcement - Two Sea Turtles Return to the Gulf of Mexico
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released two rehabilitated sea turtles on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at Topsail Hill State Park, Florida. Bindi, a sub-adult Kemp's ridley sea turtle, was hooked in the mouth at the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier on 8/4/2022. The hook was removed upon intake at the CARE Center and Bindi remained under observation until she reached a healthy weight and presented with normal blood work. Arugula, a juvenile green sea turtle, arrived at the CARE Center on
Monday, August 29, 2022Gulfarium Press Announcement - Cold Stunned New England Sea Turtle Successfully Released
The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center in Northwest Florida has released the final cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtle from a group of 16 that they received on December 17th, 2021. On Thursday, August 25th, 2022, Turtle 473 was transported to Fort Clinch State Park, Florida, as determined by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), to be released into the Atlantic Ocean. The group of 16 sea turtles arrived at the C.A.R.E. Center after being stranded off the coast of New England during a mass
Thursday, July 21, 2022Four Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Successfully Released - July 2022
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released four rehabilitated sea turtles on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at Grayton Beach State Park, Florida. Each of the turtles have been outfitted with small acoustic tags as part of a partnership between the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) team. These trackers will allow researchers to observe the movements of the rehabilitated turtles after they have been released. Multiple receivers are located throughout the Gulf of
Wednesday, July 06, 2022Summer Has Arrived at Destin Commons
Three sandcastles have been sculpted at Destin Commons as part of a summer-long viewing experience. The outdoor shopping center now has three elaborately sculpted sandcastles on display, each with its own theme and local partner. Playing on the beautiful beaches of Destin and all the area has to offer, Destin Commons hired Rick Mungeam, a sand sculpting professional of 12 years, to design and build sculptures representing Destin Commons, Destin-Fort Walton Beach’s Little Adventures program, and the
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Friday, July 01, 2022Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Releases Four Rehabilitated Sea Turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released four rehabilitated sea turtles on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, at Inlet Beach, Fla. It was a beautiful morning as the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center released some of its recent patients. "It is always so rewarding when we release sea turtles back into the Gulf," states Patrick Berry, Director of the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center. "All species of sea turtle are endangered so we are passionate about doing everything we can to help these animals. I am proud of our
Thursday, June 09, 2022Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Releases Five Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Back into the Gulf of Mexico
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released five rehabilitated sea turtles on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park off of West County Highway 30A. It was a warm, sunny morning as crowds gathered to watch the endangered turtles head back into the Gulf of Mexico. All of the rehabilitated sea turtles had fallen victim to fishing hook related injuries. One interesting and very large turtle venturing back into the Gulf of Mexico today was Mambo, an adult female loggerhead
Monday, May 16, 2022Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Releases Four Rehabilitated Sea Turtles - One Adorned with a Satellite Tag
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released four rehabilitated sea turtles on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at Inlet Beach, Florida. It was a beautiful morning as crowds gathered to watch the endangered turtles head back into the Gulf of Mexico. All of the rehabilitated sea turtles had fallen victim to fishing hook related injuries. One of the turtles was outfitted with a satellite tag for the release. Jamie, a large adult female loggerhead weighing 208lbs, had been outfitted with a satellite tag by the
Wednesday, March 02, 2022WIN a Harbor Seal Encounter Plus Free Admission to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
Click the link below to enter for a chance to win park general admission and a Discover Harbor Seals Encounter for two people, valued at more than $150! Sweepstakes closes on March 7, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. Don't forget to share the Discover Harbor Seals Sweepstakes with a friend. Enter Here!Click here to view the full official sweepstakes rules.
Tuesday, December 14, 2021Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park to Embark on Major Expansion Project
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, located on Okaloosa Island in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is embarking on a large, multimillion-dollar expansion project this winter and is excited to share the news with the community. The project will add a brand-new dolphin habitat to the park. Construction is scheduled to commence in late December of this year and will take roughly 14 months to complete. Park operations will continue as normal throughout the construction process, as the new habitat will be located
Friday, October 29, 2021Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center is Awarded Funding by the Sea Turtle Grants Program 2021
The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center has been awarded a grant for $12,989.20 from the Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program. The C.A.R.E Center received the grant to help with the purchase of seven AquaCal water chillers for their rehabilitation habitats. These new items will benefit sea turtles in NW Florida and Alabama. The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center was chosen for the award through a competitive application process that is open to coastal county governments, educational institutions and Florida-based nonprofit
Thursday, October 07, 2021Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center is Awarded Funding by the Sea Turtle Grants Program October 2021
The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center has been awarded a grant for $20,306.25 from the Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program. The C.A.R.E Center received the grant to help purchase a new digital radiograph (DR) x-ray machine. This new item will benefit sea turtles in NW Florida and Alabama. Since purchasing the DR x-ray plate the C.A.R.E. Center has already successfully completed radiographs on 31 rehabilitated sea turtles, ranging in size from juvenile green sea turtles to adult loggerheads. The DR machine enables the
Monday, September 27, 2021Seven Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Successfully Released in September 2021
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released seven rehabilitated sea turtles on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, at Saint George Island, Florida. Tabitha Siegfried, Stranding Coordinator for the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center, gently situated the rehabilitated turtles into the C.A.R.E. van to make the four-hour trek to Saint George Island. "It is quite a ways to go from our facility for this particular release, but many of the turtles are repeat offenders, meaning they have been previously hooked at piers, so
Friday, September 17, 2021Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Releases Over One Hundred Sea Turtle Hatchlings
The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center teamed up with local freediving company Benthic Ocean Sports to successfully release 131 loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings on Tuesday morning, Sept. 14, 2021. It was a cloudy morning as the C.A.R.E. Center and Mike Pooler from Benthic Ocean Sports set out for a long offshore boat ride, searching for weedlines to release the loggerhead hatchlings. The hatchlings arrived at the center following the severe weather caused by Hurricane Ida. They were taken care of by the C.A.R.E.
Tuesday, August 24, 2021Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Releases Five Rehabilitated Sea Turtles
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released five rehabilitated sea turtles on Thursday morning, Aug. 19, 2021 at Inlet Beach, Florida. It was a beautiful morning as the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center released some of its recent sea turtle patients, consisting of three different species of turtle, including three Kemp's ridley sea turtles, one loggerhead sea turtle and one green sea turtle. "We were delighted to release these turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico. All species of sea turtle are
Monday, July 19, 2021Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Releases Nine Rehabilitated Sea Turtles
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released nine rehabilitated sea turtles on Tuesday morning, July 13, 2021, at Inlet Beach, Florida. It was a cloudy but beautiful morning as the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center released its recent sea turtle patients consisting of three different species of turtle, including four Loggerhead sea turtles, three Green sea turtles, and two Kemps Ridley sea turtles. It was the second public-invited release in over a year due to COVID-19. "We had a large group of
Thursday, June 24, 2021Six Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Successfully Released
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released six rehabilitated sea turtles on Thursday morning, June 24, 2021, at Henderson Beach State Park in Destin. It was a beautiful morning as the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center released some of its recent sea turtle patients. It was the first public-invited release in over a year due to COVID-19. "We were delighted to conduct our first public sea turtle release since the pandemic began. We had several releases during 2020 but to be able to finally have large
Friday, May 28, 2021Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Released Four Rehabilitated Sea Turtles
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released four rehabilitated sea turtles on Thursday morning, May 27, 2021, at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park off of West County Highway 30A. It was a beautiful morning as the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center released some of its recent patients. "It is always so rewarding when we release the sea turtles back into the Gulf," states Will Merrill, President of the Gulfarium. "All species of sea turtle are endangered so we are passionate about doing everything we can to
Monday, May 03, 2021Gulfarium Announces New Penguin Chick Encounter
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is celebrating two new additions to the endangered African penguin family. The first penguin chick hatched at the Gulfarium on Feb. 17, 2021, with the second following close behind, on Feb. 20. These penguin chicks were born to parents, Ninja and Jelly. The first chick to hatch spent the first 3 weeks of its life being raised by Ninja and Jelly, with the second chick being raised by surrogate parents, Missy and Tubbs. “African penguins lay 2 eggs per clutch and if both eggs
Monday, November 16, 2020Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Released Three Rehabilitated Sea Turtles
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released three rehabilitated sea turtles on Friday morning, Nov. 13, 2020 at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park off of West County Highway 30A. It was a beautiful morning as the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center released some of its recent patients. "It is always so rewarding when we release the sea turtles back into the Gulf," states Patrick Berry, Director of the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center. "All species of sea turtle are endangered so we are passionate about doing
Monday, November 02, 2020Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Successfully Released On Oct. 27
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released four rehabilitated sea turtles on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 27, 2020 at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park off of West County Highway 30A. Despite the rainy weather, there were smiling faces all around as the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center released some of its recent patients. "It's been an extremely busy sea turtle season for our C.A.R.E team," states Will Merrill, Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park's president. "Watching the turtles head back out into the Gulf is
Monday, October 26, 2020Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center is Awarded Funding by the Sea Turtle Grants Program
In April, the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center received a grant for $7,858.27 from the Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program. The C.A.R.E Center received the grant to help purchase a new stainless steel surgery table, a secure narcotic medication safe, a stainless steel utility cart and a surgical light system for their sea turtle rehabilitation hospital. These new items will benefit sea turtles in NW Florida and Alabama. The Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center was chosen for the award through a competitive application process
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Monday, July 27, 2020Three Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Successfully Released
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released three rehabilitated sea turtles early Friday morning, July 17, 2020 at Grayton Beach State Park off of East County Highway 30A. It's been a busy sea turtle season for the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. team, who has been working hard to rehabilitate many sick and injured sea turtles in their newly expanded C.A.R.E. Center, which is now viewable by visitors to Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. The immediate release of three turtles was a joyous and rewarding event
Tuesday, July 07, 2020C.A.R.E. Center Successfully Released Six Rehabilitated Sea Turtles
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released six rehabilitated sea turtles early Tuesday morning, June 30th, 2020 at Grayton Beach State Park off of East County Highway 30A. All six of the rehabilitated sea turtles fell victim to ingested marine debris in the Gulf or fishing equipment related injuries. Their time of stay in rehabilitation at the C.A.R.E. Center varied. The first turtle to be released was Damsel, a sub-adult green sea turtle, who was foul-hooked in the front left flipper by
Friday, June 05, 2020Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Successfully Released
The Gulfarium's C.A.R.E. Center successfully released two rehabilitated sea turtles on Tuesday morning, June 2nd, 2020. With sea turtle nesting season officially starting on May 1st, the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center team has been busy rehabilitating multiple sick or injured turtles. The immediate release of two of their patients was a joyous event for all. The first turtle to be released was Hercules, a 7lb juvenile Green sea turtle, who arrived at the C.A.R.E. Center on Thursday April 30, 2020 after being
