TARPONS SPRINGS – People enjoying the sun and water at Fred Howard Park on Wednesday afternoon were treated to a unique Florida event as the Florida aquarium released green sea turtles near the beach’s Southend.
![Florida Aquarium staff and volunteers will carry the green sea turtle Buckley along the beach at Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs on Wednesday.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 459"/%3E "Florida Aquarium staff and volunteers will carry the green sea turtle Buckley along the beach at Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs on Wednesday.")
![Buckley, a green sea turtle, is found on tracking devices before being released into the Gulf of Mexico.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 273"/%3E "Buckley, a green sea turtle, is found on tracking devices before being released into the Gulf of Mexico.")
The sea turtle Buckley is named after Buck Creek in Dixie County, where it was discovered over a mile from the water. After hearing Buckley’s name, local businessman Ed Buckley, a marine conservation advocate, donated $7,500 to underwrite Turtle’s medical bills, which amounted to more than $10,000, and to others. Contributions were encouraged. Sea turtles are classified as endangered species, but there are no government funding programs available to offset these costs.
![Buckley swims in the Gulf of Mexico.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 416"/%3E "Buckley swims in the Gulf of Mexico.")
![Michigan's Jodie Specki, right and Florida Aquarium volunteer Mandy Walker to the left, after seeing Buckley's release, gets emotional.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 495"/%3E "Michigan's Jodie Specki, right and Florida Aquarium volunteer Mandy Walker to the left, after seeing Buckley's release, gets emotional.")
Buckley was released with a shell mounted satellite tag that allows communities and biologists to track turtles and collect conservation data. The transponder will begin sending data within 24 hours, but it may take up to a week for the data to be posted. Once Buckley’s data is available, you can track your turtles online.
![Ashley Liese, director of sea turtle conservation at the Florida Aquarium, is where the left Florida aquarium and sea turtle rehabilitation biologist Paiton Krebs releases Buckley into the water along Fred Howard Park.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 400"/%3E "Ashley Liese, director of sea turtle conservation at the Florida Aquarium, is where the left Florida aquarium and sea turtle rehabilitation biologist Paiton Krebs releases Buckley into the water along Fred Howard Park.")
![Florida Aquarium volunteer Heather Paluk, Right, sea turtle rehabilitation biologist Paiton Krebs watches while Buckley swims in the Gulf of Mexico after being released at Fred Howard Park on Wednesday .](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 486"/%3E "Florida Aquarium volunteer Heather Paluk, Right, sea turtle rehabilitation biologist Paiton Krebs watches while Buckley swims in the Gulf of Mexico after being released at Fred Howard Park on Wednesday .")
When Buckley was first transported to the tub, several onlookers gathered along the edge of the water and then placed in blue water along the beach at Fred Howard Park. Cheers were heard as the turtle swam.
Jodie Specki, 55, of Temperance, Michigan, was adored by the sight.
“I love sea turtles so I can’t speak,” Spackey said, restraining tears. “It was amazing, it was just amazing, I loved it.”
