3 sea turtles released into their natural habitat after rehabbing in Florida
Three sea turtles are back in their natural habitats after being rehabilitated at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Three sea turtles are back in their natural habitats after being rehabilitated at a facility in Florida.
All three rehabbed at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Florida's Gulf Coast after being brought to the facility over the past few months. Two of the turtles are green sea turtles, and the third is a Kemp's ridley turtle, aquarium officials said in a news release.
Sparkler, a juvenile green sea turtle, was released Thursday at Fred Howard Park. Two others — Toast, a large green sea turtle, and Loaf, a Kemp's ridley turtle — were released on Monday in Homosassa, which is north of Tampa.
Sparkler was found July 4 suffering from a severe fibropapillomatosis tumor on its left front flipper and minor tumors on both eyes. The tumors were surgically removed by aquarium veterinarians.
Loaf was accidentally caught by a fisherman on Aug. 3, and aquarium staff removed hooks from its esophagus, officials said.
Toast was spotted in a wooded area in north Florida on Oct. 9, possibly due to Hurricane Idalia. The turtle was in relatively good condition and cleared for release.
A fourth juvenile Kemp's ridley turtle was released earlier in October after rehabbing at the aquarium.
Both Kemp’s ridley turtles and green sea turtles are protected under the Endangered Species Act and listed as endangered.