WILLEMSTAD – This Friday, eighteen green sea turtles that were rescued earlier this year from thick sargassum mats near Boka Ascension and Wacawa will be released back into the sea. The turtles have spent the past several months recovering at the Curaçao Sea Aquarium and are now considered healthy enough for release.
The large-scale rescue, led by Sea Turtle Conservation Curaçao, took place in April and May when massive layers of sargassum along Curaçao’s north coast left turtles trapped, weakened, and gasping for air.
While four turtles did not survive rehabilitation, the other eighteen regained their strength. Their release will be carried out as a coordinated operation, including a police escort and a convoy of thirty vehicles transporting the animals to Boka San Pedro, close to their original rescue site.
The event also aims to raise awareness about the increasing threat of sargassum influxes. These floating algae mats obstruct turtles’ access to the sea and cause widespread damage to ecosystems, tourism, and public health.
What is Sargassum?
Sargassum is a type of brown seaweed that drifts in large floating mats across the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. Historically confined to the Sargasso Sea, since 2011 it has appeared in growing quantities across the Caribbean islands.
Scientists link its spread to climate change and human activity. Rising sea temperatures and nutrient runoff from the Amazon, caused by agriculture and deforestation, stimulate the seaweed’s rapid growth.
The consequences are severe. Onshore, decomposing sargassum releases toxic gases that cause foul odors and health problems. In the ocean, it suffocates marine life: fish and turtles become trapped or die from oxygen depletion when thick layers rot. Young sea turtles are particularly vulnerable, often exhausted or killed as they struggle through the floating mats.
Rescue efforts, such as the operation that saved these eighteen turtles, are therefore vital to the survival of the species and the preservation of marine biodiversity in Curaçao’s waters.
