News

ORLANDO, Fla., March 11—A Florida marine animal rescue facility has released its 1000th turtle patient into the Atlantic Ocean this week, marking a milestone for a rehabilitation program in existence since 1980.

The turtle, released late this week by veterinary and turtle officials, is one of 1,530 sea turtles nursed back to health by the staff at SeaWorld Orlando’s turtle rescue program. The milestone turtle, a juvenile loggerhead with lockjaw and severe nutrition deficiencies, was released at Canaveral National Seashore after six months in rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Preservation Society of Brevard County.

The rescue center deals with a variety of turtles in need of care –turtles with cold stress, damages from nets, fishing line and hooks, ingestion of trash, boat injuries, pollution contamination, and other natural causes to name a few- before releasing them back into the wild.