Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research We are amazed at the public turnout during yesterday’s sea turtle release and the continued community support we see online today! We released 12 rehabilitated green sea turtles with our partners at the Houston Zoo, the Galveston Bay Area Chapter - Texas Master Naturalist, and Texas Parks and Wildlife. These turtles were 12 of the 80 cold stunned sea turtles that we responded to during the mid-January freeze and the first to be cleared for release back into the wild. Our state funding from the Deep-Water Horizon litigation will soon come-to-a-close, and we will be relying more and more upon this community for financial support of our conservation programs like: • Sea Turtle Rescue and Recovery • Sea Turtle Rehabilitation and Release • Sea Aggie Sea Turtle Patrol • Sea Turtle Conservation Research The grand plan is to build a new facility that will house an educational outreach center where the public can see ambassador sea turtles, as well as provide a larger, modern sea turtle hospital. This facility will help us remain financially independent, but it is still a few years down the road. Follow us on social media for news and updates. In the mean-time, help us protect our threatened and endangered Texas sea turtles. We have opportunities to give at many levels and we need your support more than ever! Such as: 1). Consider becoming an individual or corporate sponsor: https://www.tamug.edu/GulfCen.../Individual-Sponsorship.html https://www.tamug.edu/GulfCent.../Corporate-Sponsorship.html 2) Purchase our Texas Sea Turtle Specialty license plate from the Dept of Motor Vehicles: https://www.myplates.com/.../background/passenger/sea-turtle 3) Consider donating directly to the GCSTR Online: https://www.txamfoundation.com/give.aspx?c_id=17&d_id=497... 4) Purchase some merchandise from the online store: https://seaturtlecenterfoundation.com/ 5) Purchase off our Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/4EOLDU4THK0Z... 6) Grab a 6 pack of Loggerhead Lager from our Galveston Island Brewing partners: https://www.galvestonislandbrewing.com/our-brews The Galveston community’s enthusiastic support keeps us moving forward with our efforts to conserve these amazing marine animals and the habitats they call home. Your donations will directly help Texas sea turtles on the Upper Texas Coast! #gcstr #sharethegulf #everybodyrow #sayyestoseaturtles #saveseaturtles political ad paid for by Beau Rawlins For Galveston City Council District 5. Tucker Rawlins, Treasurer
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Galveston County Animal Resource Center A huge THANK YOU to the amazing young ladies who helped out at the Animal Resource Center this past weekend! Your hard work preparing donations, cleaning kennels, and interacting with our animals made a real difference. Your kindness and dedication shine bright. We are so grateful for your support! The King of Solar Screens
We are Home to the $55ea for any size, shape, or color Solar Screen! Texas City, Hitchcock, LA Marque, and Dickinson everyday service except Sunday. Minimum of 8, $55ea Houston 713-870-7563 TheKingofSolarScreens.com kingofsolarscreens@gmail.com #VeteranOwned Business! #KindnessInDeed 17 SPECIES OF HUMMINGBIRDS IN TEXAS (PICTURES)by Jesse Foutch
The United States has around 25 species of hummingbirds, and Texas, due to its prime location, is home to 17 of these, including both regulars and occasional visitors. This makes Texas a key state for hummingbird diversity, potentially offering the widest variety of species in the country. Texans are fortunate to have access to so many species of these amazing little birds, providing unique opportunities for observation and enjoyment. THE HUMMINGBIRDS OF TEXASThe 17 species of hummingbird you may be able to see in Texas, including both common and rare species, are the:
TO LEARN MORE AND SEE SOME GREAT PICTURES CLICK HERE We’re going to need a bigger boat. A 14-foot Great White Shark was seen Wednesday, February 28, a short distance from the Brownsville coast. Chip Michalove, captain of South Carolina charter fishing company, Outcast Sport Fishing, tracked the Great White over 2,000 miles from its origin in South Carolina. Where did it come from? Of course, Great White Sharks in Texas is a rare sighting. This Great White, named LeeBeth, was revealed to have traveled all the way from South Carolina to the shores of Brownsville. Michalove initially caught the shark on December 8, 2023, near South Carolina’s Hilton Head. After doing so, he planted a tracker on LeeBeth, who swam over 2,000 miles reaching some 100 yards off the Brownsville coast. “14’ Great White ‘LeeBeth’ covering some crazy ground, pinging in today right off the beach near the Mexican border,” Michalove wrote in a tweet on February 27. “This is the furthest West a white shark has been tracked from the Atlantic. She’s now covered over 2,000 miles since we caught her in Dec. Insane, had no idea.” 14’ Great White “LeeBeth” covering some crazy ground, pinging in today right off the beach near the Mexican border. This is the furthest West a white shark has been tracked from the Atlantic. She’s now covered over 2,000 miles since we caught her in Dec. Insane, had no idea. pic.twitter.com/u4YyGFcAqE — Chip Michalove (@ChipHHI) February 27, 2024 Sharks in Texas? While spotting a Great White off of Texas is certainly a rare occurrence, it isn’t unheard of. In March 2021, a one-ton Great White was pinged about 140 miles off the Texas coast. Texas waters are, however, fairly populated with a number of different shark species. In Texas Blacktip sharks are far and away the most common. Other shark species native to the area include Spinner Sharks, Bull Sharks, Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks, and Bonnethead Sharks. Attack frequency? Contrary to popular belief, shark attacks are extremely rare. In fact the average number of shark attacks year over year is about 63 in the past five years. Attack frequency in Texas? In Texas, there have only been 78 recorded shark attacks since 1865 according the Houston Chronicle. This highest concentration of shark attacks in Texas occurred in the Galveston area, the 19 injuries. Only two of which resulted in fatalities. Laser Marine
We offer the best outboard engine service in Galveston County! 1727 Gulf Fwy La Marque, TX 77568 1 409-933-3474 Kenny Bleakney Wildlife Warriors · Sometimes even if you are permitted to care for a type of animal it is best to get help from others with greater ability and more resources. These turtles were caught while fishing. Thankfully the people called and brought them in last night. If they cut the line and threw them back they probably would die a slow, miserable death. These two are several years old and with proper care hopefully they will live at least another 20. The hooks were all the way down the throat and maybe in the stomachs. There was no way to cut and pull the hooks. The Wildlife Center will xray and operate, rehab, and release. They have a fantastic facility with just the right staff. . Nara made the final decision for us to take them to the place that could give them the best chance at a future. We do all we can, consult with other rehabbers, and seek more help when necessary. Chambers County Sheriff's Office
ANNUAL CRAB TRAP REMOVAL Sheriff Brian Hawthorne reports that he was proud to have Chambers County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Marine Units assist this morning in the Annual Galveston Bay Foundation Abandoned Crab Trap Removal Program. The Chambers County Sheriff’s Office assisted by using the CCSO airboats from the Marine Division to help gather the many abandoned crab traps that are left in the Galveston and Trinity Bay waterways. CCSO personnel and our Explorers worked hard collecting the abandoned traps and cleaning the bays. #ChamberCountyTX #CCSO #CrabTrapRemoval #TrinityBay #GalvestonBay Galveston Park Board of Trustees
· Important Wildlife Monitoring Training for Park Board Staff and Coastal Zone Management. Did you know our Galveston beaches support at least 11 ground-nesting bird species along with sea turtles during their nesting season? Beach nesting for these coastal species is from mid-March — August. What do you do if you see turtle nesting activity? Call 866-TURTLE-5. How about an injured bird? Call 281-286-8282. Stranded marine mammal? Call 1-800-9-MAMMAL. Thank you to Anna Deichmann with the American Bird Conservancy and Dr. Tasha Metz for imparting their knowledge and wisdom to our staff and members of Galveston County staff as well! #LoveGalveston #NestingSeason #MarineLife Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council · GINTC’s first Texas Wildlife Trivia Night was a blast! Team Meadowlarks won bragging rights in the inaugural event. Everyone enjoyed the friendly competition and learned interesting tidbits about Texas wildlife. Thanks to Kristine Rivers of Birding for Fun for planning the evening. And a BIG shoutout to the participating teams and Gypsyjoyntgalveston for hosting. Join in on the fun at next week’s FREE Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt! Register at GalvestonNatureTourism.org/Winter-Nature-Program-2024/ #GalvestonNature Guess who our team saw this week during one of our dolphin photo-ID research surveys off Galveston?2/17/2024 Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network
· DOLPHIN RESCUE UPDATE: Guess who our team saw this week during one of our dolphin photo-ID research surveys off Galveston? Little dolphin "Jack" and his Mom "Jill" - the mom and calf that our teams rescued and returned to the wild on January 3, 2024! We caught up with these two in Bolivar Roads where they were busy exhibiting natural behaviors, feeding, and socializing with other dolphins. There is absolutely nothing more rewarding than seeing dolphins we’ve rescued thriving with their wild counterparts, especially a mom and her offspring! In addition to responses to stranded dolphins, our photo-ID research allows us to track individual dolphins based on their unique dorsal fin markings. This information helps us better understand more about the long-term success of our rescue efforts, dolphin habitat use and health, and human impacts to our local dolphin populations, ultimately aiding in conservation efforts to protect them. SeaWorld San Antonio Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge #dolphins #dolphinrescue #conservation #jackandjill Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research We had a special Valentine’s Day yesterday! U.S. Coast Guard Station Galveston joined us at the beach to release two green sea turtles that they helped us rescue last fall. Both of these sea turtles were found struggling at the waters surface, entangled in fishing line. In those situations, we are often unable to safely reach them without the assistance of our local partners. One of the patients had monofilament wrapped around his front flipper so tightly that it caused it to go necrotic requiring amputation. After a few months of rehabilitation at our Center, and treatment plans from our Houston Zoo veterinarians, they were ready to go back home to the Gulf. Be sure to call 1-866-TURTLE-5 if you ever see a sea turtle struggling at the surface or accidentally catch one while fishing. If you would like to support our efforts, consider getting a speciality sea turtle license plate! Proceeds come directly back to us to help care for sick and injured sea turtles. Order our Texas Sea Turtle Specialty license plate: https://www.myplates.com/.../background/passenger/sea-turtle #gcstr #sharethegulf #everybodyrow #sayyestoseaturtles #saveseaturtles |
ABOUT THIS PAGEHome to 29 million people, Texas is one of the largest states in the country by both population and land mass. The colloquialism that “everything is bigger in Texas” is fitting, as it encompasses more than 260,000 square miles of terrain that varies from mountain forests to extensive coastline. Texas has more than 800 different habitat types. This greatly diverse terrain gives rise to a tremendous variety of native and endemic wildlife. The list of Texas’s native and introduced animals includes 540 species of birds and 142 species of mammals, amphibians, and other animals. Categories |