Westie, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Bids Farewell to Tybee Marine Science Center

On Saturday, Sept. 6, the Tybee Island Marine Science Center released Westie, a loggerhead sea turtle, into the Atlantic Ocean after caring for her for the last three years. It was the first time the turtle made its way outside the facility since she was found as a hatchling.

Westie was originally rescued as a hatchling on Ossabaw Island. She came to the science center in 2022, weighing only 21 grams. She now weighs approximately 55 pounds. The center named Westie after Eleanor "Sandy" West, an Ossabaw activist who passed away in January 2021 at age 108.

Before her release, Westie was fitted with a satellite tracker funded by 12-year-old activist Liddy Clever through her nonprofit, Save Sea Life With Liddy. Westie is the center's first turtle equipped with this device.

Beachgoers celebrated the release on Tybee Island's North Beach. Many onlookers held signs and wore turtle-themed clothing as they cheered on Westie's return to the sea.

During her time in the science center's care, Westie educated more than 300,000 visitors about coastal ecology and the loggerhead life cycle, according to Savannah Morning News.

While Westie is no longer with the science center, the staff intends to introduce another loggerhead as an educational ambassador, Ossie, a 2-year-old turtle. The center also has identified another loggerhead turtle hatching to fill the role vacated by Westie.