BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – If you're thinking about picking up a wash-back sea turtle hatch-ling on the beach after hurricane Dorian, think again.
Sea turtles stranded ashore following a major storm can be too exhausted or injured to simply be thrown back into the ocean, and that's why the Sea Turtle Preservation Society says to leave them be and call their hotline at 321-206-0646, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
“Leave the turtles alone, generally speaking,” said the society's chairperson Roger Pszonowsky, adding that beyond calling the hotline Brevardians should just “let nature run its course”.
[RELATED: Baby sea turtle named 'Dorian' rescued by Flagler Beach Fire Rescue | Woman rescues baby sea turtle off Indialantic Beach in wake of Hurricane Dorian]
“It can take a while on the hotline number because we are all volunteers,” he adds, urging residents to just leave a message and move on if they encounter a stranded turtle right after the storm.
Society volunteers, and officials are equipped to handle any rescues and deliver them to the appropriate care facilities, such as the Brevard Zoo.
Ahead of Dorian, the society shared the following points with Florida Today:
As a reminder, the hotline number is 321-206-0646.
[MORE: Here's how to protect eggs during Florida's sea turtle nesting season]
The organization also noted that "we need to help turtles through other mechanisms that will actually affect a change and contribute to the preservation and protection of the populations: skip the straw, reduce single use plastic, and educate others."