Arribada Adventures!

Looking for something fun and educational to do as a family this summer? Come join us for Arribada Adventures at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center! While sea turtle biologists typically use the term “arribada” to describe the mass nesting of hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center Education Team is using it to introduce our new summer programs! Arribada Adventures is geared toward families and has been designed for turtle enthusiasts both young and old! These two hour programs will introduce you and your little hatchlings to Georgia’s turtles! Become an expert Turtler through hands-on activities, games, crafts, and outdoor exploration. Space is limited and reservations are required. For registration and location information, please call 912-635-4444.

Cost: $10/adult, $5/child*. Saturdays 9:00am -11:00am *Please note that price does not include general admission to the Center. June 21: Totally Terrapins: Get to know the Diamondback Terrapin up close and personal through a live animal presentation. You will also learn about the threats they face and participate in a release! June 28: So YOU want to be a Sea Turtle: Sea turtles spend the majority of their lives in the ocean! How do they do it? Learn about the 5 species of sea turtles that visit Georgia’s coast and learn what makes them unique. July 5: Nifty Nesters: Sea turtles are egg-cellent nesters. Become a momma sea turtle and learn all about the nesting process by playing a fun and interactive game on the beach. You’ll also learn how they do it by building your own edible nest! July 12: Cracking the Crawl: Become a sea turtle detective and learn how to identify tracks in the sand and who they belong to. Sea turtles are not alone out there on the beach. Explore the beach environment and discover other critters who call the dunes home. July 19: Turtles on the Move: Where in the world do sea turtles go? They begin their lives on the beach and then spend the majority of their lives in the ocean. Sea turtle biologists use a variety of methods to follow sea turtles as they migrate through the ocean. Learn about the different tags we use and how you too can follow sea turtles online! July 26: It’s Tough Being a Sea Turtle: Discover the not-so-glamorous part of being a sea turtle and the difficulties they face. Through interactive role play and games, participants will simulate how humans contribute to the pollution of the marine environment. August 2: Lend ‘em a Flipper: Learn how YOU too can help our fine, flippered friends by participating in a beach sweep and creating recycled sea turtle art. August 9: Giving Sea Turtles a Chance: Come learn what the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is doing to help sea turtles. Participate in a mock sea turtle rescue and learn what we do to rehabilitate a turtle!Turtle Tours Night Walks Explore the beach at night, and learn about the amazing journey of the loggerhead sea turtles nesting along the Georgia Coast. These popular programs begin with a 30-45 minute presentation at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center about the natural history of sea turtles, followed by a guided beach tour (participants must provide their own transportation from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to the beach). Turtle walks will be conducted June 1 – July 31 (Walks will not be conducted on July 4) with two nightly programs every day (8:30 and 9:30 P.M.). Depending on the nesting season, the concluding date may vary. Reservations are required as group size is limited by DNR permit restrictions and programs nearly always sell out many days in advance. Participants will have a limited amount of time to briefly explore the Exhibit Gallery before their presentation begins, but the hospital area will not be accessible. Cost: $10 adults (13+), $5 children (ages 4-12) Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult Due to the time and nature of these walks, we require children to be at least 4 years of age. For the safety of the turtles, flashlights, camera and video camera lights are not allowed on the Walks. Night vision cameras are allowed. Walk Guides will have a special, turtle-friendly, approved flashlight.

Tags: Georgia Sea Turtle Center, hatchlings, jekyll island, night walks, sea turtles, turtle tours

This entry was posted on Friday, May 30th, 2008 at 11:45 pm and is filed under Beachscape, June 2008. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.