Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Dylan!

Dylan’s life began on the beach of Jekyll Island, Georgia, where the hatchling straggler was rescued on August 26, 1998. The turtle was taken to the Tidelands Nature Center, where she lived for several years. After outgrowing the Tidelands Nature Center, the Georgia Aquarium partnered with Tidelands, and Dylan was moved in November 2005 to a new habitat at the Georgia Aquarium.

While at the Georgia Aquarium, Dylan was seen by more than 4.9 million guests and was a successful example of the Aquarium’s 4R program (Rehabilitation, Relocation, Rescue and Research). The 4R Program is designed to positively impact the health and well-being of aquatic life from around the world. 

While at the Georgia Aquarium, Dylan's size doubled!  Weighing in at close to 140 lbs and measuring more than 19.5 inches, it was time for the Georgia Aquarium to say goodbye to Dylan. Dylan was transported in May 2007 from the Georgia Aquarium to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island, where she began learning the skills needed to return to her native habitat.

On June 30, 2008, members of the Georgia Aquarium and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center partnered to release Dylan off the same coast where she was found nearly 10 years ago.

Before being released, Dylan was fitted with a satellite tag, provided by the Georgia Aquarium, so that the turtle’s migration and behavior can be recorded and studied. It is now possible to track Dylan’s progress and see her current location.

Sea turtles are one of the many animals that the Aquarium's 4R Program focuses on, and Dylan is the first animal from the Georgia Aquarium to be released. The Aquarium will continue its efforts with sea turtles in the hopes of releasing more animals in the future. You can help the Aquarium provide care for animals like Dylan by donating to the Aquarium's 4R Program. Click here to see how you can help.  

Fun Facts

• It is nearly impossible to know a loggerhead  sea turtle's gender until it reaches adulthood, which may take 20 years.
• Approximately 50,000 to 70,000 female loggerheads nest on beaches along the southeastern U.S. coast. More than 90% nest in Florida. 
• An adult loggerhead turtle weighs 200-350 lbs and measures about 3 feet in length.
• The female loggerhead drags herself up the beach, digs a hole  with her back flippers and deposits 100-125 eggs the size of golf balls.
• The gender of a sea turtle is determined by the temperature in the nest: females develop from warmer areas and males from cooler locations.
• After 45 to 60 days, the hatchlings emerge from the nest together and scamper down the beach to the water in the middle of the night.