Huntington Returns Home: Green Sea Turtle Released at Huntington Beach State Park

A familiar face made a return to the shores of Huntington Beach State Park last week,  a juvenile green sea turtle named Huntington. Hatched on the park’s beach in October 2023, the turtle spent the past two years serving as an ambassador for its species at Riverbanks Zoo’s Caribbean Coral Reef exhibit. Now, weighing 6 kilograms and full of energy, Huntington is back where its journey began.

Each season, approximately a dozen green sea turtle nests are documented along South Carolina’s coast. When it’s time, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) selects one nest to provide a hatchling for the ambassador program. The chosen nest typically comes from the beach that recorded the highest number of green sea turtle nests during that nesting season. To collect the ambassador hatchling, SCDNR staff authorizes the use of a ‘catch bucket’ by permitted individuals. This is placed over a nest as it nears emergence, typically around 45 days after it is laid. Once the hatchlings begin to emerge, one is carefully selected for the program before the rest make their natural crawl to the ocean. The chosen turtle is temporarily held in a dry, temperature-controlled container until it’s safely transported to Riverbanks Zoo under applicable permits.

At Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, Huntington became part of the Caribbean Coral Reef exhibit. This vibrant underwater display helps connect guests to the wonders of marine life and the conservation work happening right here in South Carolina.

Rebecca Jones, an aquarist at Riverbanks Zoo, said the ambassador program helps visitors see the connection between the ocean and their everyday lives.

“When guests ask where the turtle is or what happens to them, it’s a great opportunity to talk about our partnership with SCDNR,” Jones said. “All ages from 0-99 love sea turtles. So it helps get the kids and the guests interested and actually learning that sea turtles are not some far away tropical creature. They can be thousands of miles away, or we can see them right here off of our beaches."

Jones added that the exhibit provides daily education opportunities for visitors. “Every weekday, we host a noon-feed dive where our education team presents what’s happening in the tank — who we’re feeding, the sea turtle, and even our coral restoration work through the Florida Reef Tract Program,” she said. Guests come for the sea turtle but leave with a greater understanding of marine life and conservation efforts. 

This release marked a full-circle moment for Huntington, who began life where it now returns to the ocean.

“It’s a good opportunity for this animal to have started its life on a South Carolina beach, grown up educating people at Riverbanks Zoo, and then to be released back into the waterways where it hopefully can thrive,” says Meredith Bean, Wildlife Biologist with SCDNR’s Marine Turtle Conservation Program. “We have a healthy population of juvenile green sea turtles that utilize our marshes and shallow waters for much of the year.”

Huntington’s return to where it hatched is a true homecoming. Huntington Beach State Park is one of the best spots along the South Carolina coast to observe sea turtles in their natural habitat. The park’s shoreline and jetty provide an ideal habitat for juvenile green sea turtles, offering shallow waters and abundant algae for them to feed on. 

Bean said that everyone can play a role in protecting sea turtles and their habitats.

“Leave no trace — that’s good advice anywhere,” she said. “Pick up after yourself, fill in holes, knock down sandcastles, and keep lights off the beach during nesting season. If you see a nesting female or hatchlings, give them plenty of space and don’t interfere.”

She also reminded boaters to stay alert on the water.

“In our state, watercraft interactions are one of the biggest causes of strandings, particularly among juvenile turtles,” Bean said. “Wear polarized sunglasses, go slow in shallow areas, and always be aware of your surroundings.”

As Huntington swam off into the marsh, staff and visitors watched with pride, knowing that this small turtle’s journey had already made a big impact by inspiring countless people to care about the ocean and the creatures that call it home.

**The collection, care, and release of sea turtles are carried out in accordance with state and federal regulations and conducted under permits issued by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and partnering agencies. Huntington Beach MTP 2025-511, Riverbanks Zoo MTP 2025-0003