After several months of care, SeaWorld’s animal rescue team returned four loggerhead sea turtles are back to the ocean with the help of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
Three of the turtles arrived at SeaWorld Orlando last December after flying across the country from Massachusetts. During the winter months, sea turtles are susceptible to “cold stun” from the frigid northern water temperatures. The New England Aquarium in Boston sent 19 rescued sea turtles on a flight to Tampa for rehabilitation. SeaWorld, along with several Florida marine life organisations responded to help care for the animals. Upon arrival at SeaWorld the sea turtles were given antibiotics and treated for mild pneumonia. The fourth turtle arrived at SeaWorld from the Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience in St. Augustine late last May. Upon arrival, the sub-adult Loggerhead was emaciated, lethargic, and covered in barnacles. After eight months of fluid therapy and digestive care at SeaWorld, the turtle made a full recovery.
The successful rehabilitation of these Loggerhead sea turtles, a threatened species, is another great example of SeaWorld’s commitment to protecting sea life. For more than 50 years, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has helped animals in need – ill, injured, orphaned or abandoned – with the goal of returning them to the wild. More than 29,000 animals have been rescued by the expert animal rescue team that is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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