World Turtle Day Return

There’s no better way to celebrate World Turtle Day than by sending a rehabilitated sea turtle back home to the ocean.

This morning, the rescue team returned a sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle back to the beach at Sebastian Inlet after four months of rehabilitation at SeaWorld Orlando.

The sea turtle was found floating in January in the Indian River Lagoon on the east coast of Florida. It was missing its left front flipper and covered in barnacles with visible damage on its shell. At the time of the rescue, the turtle weighed 218 pounds.

Floating sea turtles are often experiencing digestive issues. This particular Loggerhead had eaten an abundance of sand dollars, which were creating blockages in its intestines. With patience, medication, and fluid therapy, the rescue team at SeaWorld removed the blockage from the sea turtle.

After a clean bill of health from the veterinarians, this 230 pound loggerhead became the 12th rehabilitated sea turtle returned to the wild by SeaWorld this year.
In partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, SeaWorld Orlando has rescued nearly 2,000 sea turtles since 1980.

There’s even MORE good news for turtle fans! Meet Cara, an exclusive, limited-edition TY Beanie Boo now available online and at the park.

Each Cara purchase includes a donation to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund to help protect wildlife and promote conservation efforts that help sea turtles.