By Brooklynn Wong
After a month-long stay at the Aquarium of the Pacific, a young sea turtle is back home in the ocean, and a large crowd showed up in Seal Beach on August 15 to send her off.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is known for its experience in rehabilitating sea turtles in need, so when the female in question was found stranded in a power plant intake area in Morro Bay earlier this summer, they were the ones that were called.
According to aquarium veterinarian Dr. Lance Adams, the 50-pound green sea turtle, estimated to be between six and eight years old, was not in as bad of shape as others they have worked with. She was not injured; Adams even said, “Its state of health was really good.” The turtle just needed a little food, water and TLC.
In the turtle’s monthlong stay in Long Beach, aquarium staff made sure she was well hydrated and got plenty of high-quality seafood. They took x-rays of her to make sure she had not ingested any plastics, and put a microchip ID on her flipper.
She was released in Seal Beach, near 15 1st Street. According to a statement from the aquarium, Seal Beach “was chosen for its warm water temperatures and because it is a common migratory habit for this sea turtle species.”
The San Gabriel River is home to many sea turtles, although they are highly migratory and can travel all along the coast and down to Mexico.
The aquarium has a volunteer-based program where green sea turtles in the river are counted once a month.
A crowd of about 30 curious onlookers and members of the media gathered to observe aquarium staff remove the turtle from its transport vehicle—with a cover over her eyes that staff put in place to keep her calm—and carry her down to the water, and to cheer as she heartily paddled off on her own.