News

It may seem like the ocean news wire is always swamped with stories of declining populations, the melting arctic, or polluted waters, so when a story of an amazing recovery comes up it is truly special.

When the 177-pound, male Loggerhead turtle was rescued by the Marine Life Rescue Center in Florida he had a collapsed lung, pneumonia, holes in his shell, and an exposed spinal cord. Last week, after thirteen months of recovery and rehabilitation, he was released back into the ocean in front of a sea of spectators.

"He has overcome obstacles, predators, food scarcities, cold winters — any number of things that may have ended his life — and he has survived," said Dr. Nancy Mettee, a veterinarian at Loggerhead Marinelife Center who cared for Andre. "He's really a miracle turtle."

Soon after being taken to the recovery center, scientists named the turtle “Andre” in honor of the actor/wrestler Andre the Giant. Andre underwent extensive surgery, including procedures on his lungs and strengthening of his shell, but perhaps the most innovative measures included the efforts of a local orthodontist. 

“I have never, ever anticipated in my life that I would be working on a turtle,” admitted local orthodontist Dr. Alberto Vargas, who added braces to the turtle’s shell. “I’ve never done this before.”

Much like braces work on his human patients, the orthodontic work on the turtle was successfully used to close the holes in the shell in some places and encourage growth in others. And while hundreds of onlookers cheered last week as the turtle swam back into the ocean, the volunteers who spent weeks nursing Andre back to health “braced” themselves for his departure. 

"Saying goodbye to Andre is bittersweet," said Dr. Nancy Mettee, the turtle’s primary caregiver. "I love to see him return to the wild, but I’d hate to watch him leave."