Release of Endangered Turtles

15 Minutes Photo Gallery

Both lieutenant governors decried the opening of the Mississippi spillways that created environmental disasters in 2020, killing the oyster beds and marine life in the Gulf by diverting the polluted, fresh waters of the river.

On Tuesday, July 20, a small crowd of spectators watched as the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) released six rehabilitated Kemps-Ridley sea turtles into the Mississippi Sound.
 
The turtles were stranded on the Massachusetts coast due to cold waters before being flown to South Mississippi. Although Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles are the most endangered sea turtle globally, they are also the most common sea turtle found in Mississippi waters.

This 15 Minutes photo gallery is sponsored by

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Lieutenant governors of both Mississippi and Louisiana were among a handful of state officials at the event.
 
“[The children here today] will remember how important it is to save our water, our beaches, our islands and all of the things that come with living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann.
 
“Louisiana claims to have a 50-year plan. We don’t need a 50-year plan; we need a five year plan,” said Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “We have enough money from BP to save our coast. God help us if we waste it.”

- Photos by Gregg Martel

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Wendy McDonald (in blue) and her granddaughter, Annabelle Bilotta, speak with Louisiana's Lieutenant Governor, Billy Nungesser.

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Moby Solangi, Director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies

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Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser

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Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann addresses the crowd.

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Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser brings one of the Kemps-Ridley sea turtles, nicknamed "Billy," to the water's edge.

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Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann follows with another of the Kemps-Ridley sea turtles - this one nicknamed "Delbert."

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Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann gives a brief interview to local news media.

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Several of the conservation-themed license plates available from the State of Mississippi. Proceeds from these license plates benefit the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies.

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