Crowds cheered and took photos Monday as two rehabilitated loggerhead sea turtles slowly made their way through the sand toward the Atlantic Ocean at a Florida marine life center.
Cayman and Finley arrived at the Loggerhead Marine Life Center in Juno Beach after being injured in separate incidents, officials said. The center treats injured turtles and releases them back into their natural habitat as soon as they are healthy enough to fend for themselves.
Cayman was brought to the center on February 6th after his left front flipper got entangled in fishing line and required surgery, said veterinarian Dr. Heather Barron, the center’s chief scientific officer.
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“We went into the hospital and surgically cleaned everything out,” she said. “And he’s doing great. He’s made a great recovery from the surgery. You can’t even see the scar now.”
When Finlay arrived on April 27, he had a fishing hook embedded in his shoulder.
This photo provided by the Loggerhead Marine Life Center in Juno Beach, Florida, on Monday, May 13, 2024, shows a subadult found with a hook attached to its shoulder in late April at the Loggerhead Marine Life Center in Juno Beach, Florida. Finley the loggerhead turtle is pictured. Administration of antibiotics to prevent possible infection. Finley was released into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday morning. (Loggerhead Sea Turtle Marine Life Center, via AP)
“It was actually very easily transmitted, but you should never underestimate the potential of a dirty fishing hook to cause a really nasty infection,” Barron said.
The turtles were released onto the shore directly across from the research center north of West Palm Beach.
“It’s always a celebration at the beach,” said Andy DeHart, the center’s president and CEO.
He said the staff always look forward to releasing the turtles.
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“Seeing them return to the ocean is the best part of our job,” DeHart said.
