Sea turtle returning home after successful rehabilitation in Florida
APOLLO BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle named Sergeant is ready to return to the sea following a five-month rehabilitation at The Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center.
The aquarium said Sergeant arrived at the center in early December along with several other turtles after being stunned from prolonged exposure to the cold and suffering a serious bone infection in a front flipper.
Credit: The Florida Aquarium Credit: The Florida Aquarium Credit: The Florida Aquarium Credit: The Florida Aquarium
After receiving extensive medical care, Sergeant is now set to be released off the coast of Jacksonville.
“It’s a really exciting moment for all of us here—staff, volunteers, and interns—who have spent hours working with each one of these individual animals,” said Alyssa Fessett, Senior Biologist at The Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center. “On a release day, once they go out and you see them take that first breath over a wave, it’s a really magical moment where all of your hard work makes it worthwhile.”
The Florida Aquarium said it is currently rehabilitating 27 green sea turtles and at the peak of the season had 55 animals in its program, which is a record number for the center.
Sergeant’s rehabilitation was a collaborative effort between The Florida Aquarium, New England Aquarium, Turtles Fly Too, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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