Clearwater Marine Aquarium released Rupert, Vernon, Alexis Rose, and Chandler on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.
Rupert’s Story
Rupert is a juvenile green sea turtle found stranded near Anclote Key on February 11, 2021. Upon intake, it was determined there were no obvious injuries or abnormalities. Later, the team discovered that Rupert was battling an infection and is now healthy after being on antibiotics!
Rupert gained a significant amount of weight and was cleared for release by our veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission!
Vernon’s Story
Vernon is a juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle accidentally caught by a fisherman offshore near St. Pete Beach on June 21, 2021. Radiographs confirmed that Vernon had ingested a hook, and due to its location, Vernon needed to have surgery to remove it. The surgery was successful, and Vernon needed time for the incision to heal.
Vernon’s incision healed nicely, and he was cleared for release by our veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Alexis Rose’s & Chandler’s Effects From Red Tide
Alexis Rose is a juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle found near Madeira Beach on July 22, 2021. Chandler is a sub-adult Kemp’s ridley sea turtle found near Bellaire Beach on August 1, 2021. Upon intake, both Alexis Rose and Chandler were displaying neurological symptoms which could indicate red tide exposure. They were immediately placed on treatment plans of fluids and IV nutrition that would help flush the toxin out of their systems. A lab analysis conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute confirmed brevetoxin in Alexis Rose’s and Chandler’s blood samples.
Alexis Rose and Chandler recovered quickly and were cleared for release by our veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
On August 18, Rupert, Vernon, Alexis Rose, and Chandler were released at Fred Howard Park! We wish them all the best as they make their way back home!
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-19-172.