KEY WEST, FLA. (WSVN) - It was home sweet home for a beloved sea turtle that was released after months of recovery in the Florida Keys.
Molly the loggerhead finally returned to the water from a beach in Key West on Tuesday.
Three months ago, the marine reptile was found tangled in a crab trap line, covered in barnacles and suffering from a massive tumor. Her recovery did not seem possible, but vets say she refused to give up.
“When Molly was admitted to Turtle Hospital, her blood levels were critically low, that ginormous tumor was oozing blood, so it was a very risky surgery,” said Bette Zirkelbach, the manager of The Turtle Hospital. “We did the risky surgery. The veterinary team were able to remove that tumor. Once that tumor was removed, Molly started getting stronger every day, and her resilience was amazing.”
The tumor was the largest ever recorded on a sea turtle, making Molly’s recovery all the more miraculous. Before her release, she was fitted with a tracking tag so researchers can get data on the movement of loggerhead turtles.
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