Clearwater Marine Aquarium released three sea turtles to kick off July! On Wednesday, July 1, Cara was released at Clearwater Beach and Gus was released at Fred Howard Park. Isurus was released on Thursday, July 2 at Cedar Key.
Loggerhead Found Floating by Boater
Cara, a sub-adult loggerhead weighing 70.3 lbs, was found floating sideways and lethargic by a boater near Indian Shores Beach in Pinellas County on March 26, 2020. Upon intake, she was discovered to be underweight and had a large amount of epibiota (barnacles and algae) covering her carapace. X-rays showed a large amount of GI gas that our team determined to be the cause of her buoyancy.
Cara’s buoyancy resolved and she was determined healthy and ready for release! Her release was cleared by our veterinarian and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). She was released at Clearwater Beach on the morning of July 1.
Green Sea Turtle Found Floating Offshore Hudson
Gus is a juvenile, green sea turtle who was found floating offshore of the Hudson area in Pasco County on March 25, 2020. Gus appeared very lethargic and underweight upon intake. He was initially tube-fed by our team due to not eating on his own and his swim time was monitored.
Gus’ eating and swimming continued to improve in his rehabilitation process and was deemed releasable! His release was cleared by our veterinarian and FWC. He was released at Fred Howard Park in the early afternoon on July 1.
Kemp’s Ridley Brought In For Hook Ingestion
On June 16, 2020, our team received a call reporting a sea turtle who was accidentally caught by a fisherman in Cedar Key in Levy County. Isurus, a juvenile Kemp’s ridley, was in good body condition and alert upon intake. The “J” hook was discovered to be deep in his esophagus after radiographs were conducted. The hook was successfully removed through an endoscopy, and without the need for surgery, which was encouraging for a quick recovery! He was approved for release by our veterinarian and FWC and was released at Cedar Key on July 2.
We wish Cara, Gus, and Isurus the best as they all make their way back into 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-19-172.