The Aquarium of the Pacific, Southern California’s largest aquarium located in Long Beach, last week released a rehabilitated green sea turtle back into the ocean. The turtle was initially rescued near Avila Beach, California, and brought to the facility for surgery and recovery. The surgery, performed on an injured front flipper, was successful, and the turtle responded well, eating and healing effectively, as reported on the website of the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Found in December, the sea turtle was cared for by a team at the Aquarium of the Pacific and fed fish, plants and other nutritious meals for about six months. Now, it will again have to fend for itself in nature. Last week, aquarium veterinary and animal husbandry staff transported the green sea turtle to the water’s edge and released it near the mouth of the San Gabriel river.
After restoring the turtle to health, the aquarium staff fitted it with a satellite tag to track its movements after release. The tracking tag the turtle was outfitted with will stay on for anywhere from two weeks to two months. Some turtles released in the past have swum a circle and made their way back up the San Gabriel river. Others have travelled all the way south to Mexico.
This turtle has, since its release, travelled significant distances, demonstrating successful reintegration into its natural habitat. This initiative is part of broader conservation efforts to aid the endangered green sea turtle population, which faces threats from habitat loss, poaching, and other human activities.
In the past 20 years or so, the aquarium has helped more than 40 sea turtles, between two and five a year, said Lance Adams, director of veterinary services. The Aquarium of the Pacific, which is celebrating its silver jubilee, displays about 12,000 animals and more than 100 exhibits that celebrate the planet’s largest and most diverse water body, the Pacific Ocean. Its galleries represent the frigid waters of the Northern Pacific, the temperate Southern California/Baja region, and the warm coral reefs and lagoons of the Tropical Pacific.
