Tourists left 6 baby sea turtles in their Tybee Island hotel room trash can, police say
Wildlife can show up in the strangest places.
Like, for instance, in a hotel room trash can.
That’s exactly what happened on Tybee Island at the Admiral’s Inn on Tuesday.
A housekeeper found six live loggerhead hatchlings Tuesday afternoon in a water-filled waste bin while the room’s occupants were out for the day, according to a police report from the Tybee Island Police Department.
The man and woman staying in the hotel room were intoxicated when they picked up the six sea turtles from the beach around midnight the night before, the man later told police.
The man claimed that other people on the beach were “attempting to grab the turtles” while the hatchlings crawled toward the ocean, the police report stated. So he and his girlfriend picked up the turtles instead, “placed them in a cup, and took them to the room for safety,” the report added.
The man also said he intended to take the turtles to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center at the end of the day, according to the police report. The two tourists were visiting from Kentucky, the Savannah Morning News reported.
The federal Endangered Species Act classifies Loggerheads as a threatened species — this means that people cannot even touch the animals without a permit.
People who violate these laws may be fined anywhere from $100 to $10,500.
Representatives from the Marine Science Center arrived on scene to pick up the loggerhead turtles. They released five of them into the ocean, but kept one in the Marine Center.
The sixth hatchling will stay in the Marine Center for two years, said Brenda Marion, communications coordinator at the Marine Center. Although right now the turtle is being kept in the quarantined area, guests can still say hello to the baby sea turtle on behind-the-scenes tour, said Marion.
The hatchling will be transferred to the main gallery in about three weeks, Marion added.
Right now, the hatchling doesn’t have a name. Marion said the staff is trying to decide whether they should name it, or if they should ask the public for their input.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has opened up an investigation.
The investigation is still in early stages, and the DNR will “move on from there to see if any charges will be filed,” said Mark McKinnon, public affairs officer for Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
A representative from the hotel said she could not talk about the turtles while the incident is under investigation.
This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 4:15 PM.