PONCE INLET, Fla. (AP) — A sea turtle returned to the Atlantic Ocean off Florida following two and a half months of rehabilitation.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that Whitney, a 280-pound loggerhead turtle, was cheered on by more than 900 people at Ponce Inlet on Friday.
A #loggerhead #seaturtle made a complete recovery and was released back into her ocean home. #rescue… https://t.co/Vf1VDGEzXs
— Save the Sea Turtle (@savetheseaturtl) July 8, 2017
The Volusia County Marine Science Center says Whitney was found stranded on Cocoa Beach on April 16. She suffered from anemia and a bacterial infection. She also had old wounds, including a gash on her shell and the amputated flipper. She was treated with food, antibiotics, vitamins and iron.
The turtle was the first to be examined with the science center’s new ultrasound equipment. The equipment was bought with help from a grant from the state of Florida’s sea turtle license plate money.
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