Clearwater Marine Aquarium and partners across Florida released three sea turtles, Biscayne, Wasabi, and Denali on October 5 and 6, 2022.
Biscayne
Biscayne is a juvenile Kemp’s ridley turtle who was accidentally caught by a fisherman in Crystal River. Radiographs at intake showed that Biscayne had ingested two fish hooks! One was in the esophagus and the other further down in the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the location of these hooks, surgery was needed to successfully remove them. The incisions were fully healed after a few months of rehab. Biscayne has been cleared for release by both our veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and is ready to return home to the big blue! Biscayne was released on October 5, 2022, in the Crystal River Area in Florida.
Wasabi
Wasabi is a juvenile, green sea turtle who was found floating near Sand Key on July 8, 2022. Wasabi has injuries to his head and carapace potentially from a boat. Due to the trauma to his head he started exhibiting neurological behaviors. Further diagnostics showed that his head wound luckily did not penetrate too deep. With time and proper treatment Wasabi’s neurological behaviors quickly resolved. Wasabi is now fully healed and has been cleared for release by our staff veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission! Wasabi was released on October 5, 2022, at Honeymoon Island in Florida.
Denali
Denali is a subadult, green sea turtle weighing nearly 60lbs. She was found floating in Tampa Bay having issues staying submerged or diving to the bottom. Diagnostics indicated that Denali had increased gastrointestinal gas which likely caused her buoyancy. After a period on medications and a healthy diet, Denali’s buoyancy soon resolved, and she was resting on the bottom consistently! Denali has been cleared for release by both our veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and is ready to return home. Denali was released on October 6, 2022, at Fort De Soto in Florida.
All sea turtles were cleared for release by our veterinarian Dr. Shelly Marquardt and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. We wish them all the best back in the wild!
All marine turtle footage taken in Florida was obtained with the approval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under conditions not harmful to marine turtles. Footage was acquired while conducting authorized conservation activities pursuant to FWC MTP-21/22-172A.