Threatened Sea Turtle, Rehabilitated by the Aquarium, Released Back Into Its Ocean Home

September 1, 2016

After being rehabilitated by the Aquarium of the Pacific, a threatened green sea turtle returned home on Thursday, September 1, with the help of the Aquarium of the Pacific, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and Harbor Breeze Cruises.

Two sea turtles have been rehabilitated at the Aquarium this summer. Members of the public found the first of the two sea turtles with a hook in its throat and contacted Marine Animal Rescue, which brought the animal to the Aquarium. The Aquarium’s veterinarian Dr. Lance Adams successfully removed the hook from the sea turtle’s throat through surgery. A second sea turtle was caught by a fisherman who also contacted authorities for help removing a hook in its throat. Aquarium experts have been rehabilitating and caring for the two sea turtles behind the scenes. While the first was released September 1, the second is still recuperating and will be released once it has made a full recovery.