Atlantic Ocean Welcomes Newly Rehabilitated Loggerhead Sea Turtle

In Florida, a recently rehabilitated loggerhead sea turtle was released back into the Atlantic Ocean.

Rocky, a loggerhead sea turtle who had spent six weeks receiving rehabilitation at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Florida, took a brief break on the sand before making a slow descent into the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday morning.

The sea turtle worked its way down the beach right across the street from the turtle hospital, and volunteers and staff cheered it on.

Rocky the Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Rocky had a blue monitoring device on its back that enabled the staff to keep an eye on the big turtle.

According to Andy Dehart, president and chief executive officer of the center, Rocky, a female turtle weighing 230 pounds, was discovered floating off North Hutchinson Island on December 29. It had a tear in the lung brought on by a boat strike.

According to Dehart, since the turtle's lung was perforated, the air was being trapped in its body cavity, effectively turning it into a "floater." It was unable to dive or submerge itself.

The rehabilitation facility's objective is to return the turtles to their original habitat.

Every one of these creatures, especially a large breeding female like Rocky, he claimed, is essential to the survival of the sea turtle populations. It is truly magical to witness that return to nature.

On Florida's Atlantic coast, Juno Beach is located north of West Palm Beach.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

The loggerhead turtle gets its name from its large head, which houses strong jaw muscles that allow it to eat conch, whelks, and other hard-shelled prey. The sea turtle species that breeds most frequently in the US is the loggerhead. Loggerhead turtles, both juvenile and adult, can be found in US coastal waters, but many of the adults that nest on US beaches are migrants from countries nearby, such as Cuba, the Bahamas, and Mexico.

According to NOAA Fisheries, the bycatch in fishing gear like trawls, gillnets, and longlines is to blame for the decline in loggerhead populations in the US. Bycatch in fishing gear continues to be the biggest threat to loggerhead sea turtles despite the use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in shrimp trawls, gillnet bans, and other gear modifications.

Over 18,000 turtle nests were observed by the center last year along a 10-mile beachfront stretch. Green sea turtles, leatherbacks, and loggerhead turtles, all of which are endangered species, made up the majority of the nests. The nesting season for the loggerhead sea turtle starts on March 1 and ends in October, ABC News reports.

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Rehabilitating Wildlife

One of Florida's most popular nonprofit scientific destinations, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center is dedicated to the conservation of ocean and sea turtles.

LMC has dedicated more than three decades to the treatment of ill and injured sea turtles. The Gordon & Patricia Gray Family founded LMC's cutting-edge hospital, which is one of the best in the nation and an important center for sea turtle rehabilitation. Numerous sea turtles can be examined, evaluated, and treated at LMC thanks to its surgical suite, blood work lab, upgraded x-ray room, endoscope, and ultrasound equipment.

Their treatment philosophy, according to the LMC, is "from rescue to release," which means that patients, sea turtles, are discharged and released into their habitats as soon as they have received the all-clear from their doctors. A patient will be moved to another facility if it is determined that they cannot be released. With the ultimate goal of allowing each rehabilitated sea turtle to return to the ocean as soon as possible, all the sea turtle patients on the premises are actively receiving treatment.