After three years, Westie returns back to sea

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WTOC) - Tybee Island’s North End beach was packed with people watching Westie, a sea turtle, return back to the sea.

Three years ago, she was a hatchling straggler on Ossabaw Island, picked out by state biologist Mark Dodd.

“Mark had picked out the perfect one and that was Westie,” explained biologist Sarah Alley, who’s been with Westie from the moment she was brought to Tybee Island.

The Marine Science Center takes these stragglers in and helps them grow for three years, while educating the public about sea turtles.

“That way kids can meet a turtle even if they live on the coast or all the way up in a landlocked state,” Alley explained.

Now that Westie, is three it’s her turn to return home. But not without a gift from young conservationist, Lidea Clever.

Lidea has been taking trash collected during clean up events and turning it into art and selling it. Those proceeds have directly gone toward a tracker for Westie.

“So that we can see where she goes on a journey,” Clever explained.

Westie is now the first tagged turtle to be released from the science center. Alley says this data will help biologists understand more about the animals.

“We can’t age a sea turtle typically in the wild...we’re able to hopefully see where a three-year-old turtle goes when they’re released,” Alley said.

While it was bittersweet saying goodbye, everyone is excited for westie’s future, and what lies ahead.

“We’re really excited to see where the journey will take her,” Clever said.

The next sea turtle to be released on Tybee Island will be “Ossie”, who will be released sometime next year.