CLEARWATER, Fla. — One young sea turtle returned to the wild today after a successful stay at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
The juvenile green sea turtle named Ivan was released Wednesday morning at Fort DeSoto Park in Pinellas County, after five months of rehabilitation.
A member of the public contacted CMA’s rescue team after they found Ivan floating on his side in a canal in Gulfport on Jan. 16.
“When Ivan arrived at CMA, we noticed that he had an old injury to his carapace that had healed but created a deformity,” Dr. Shelly Marquardt said. “After receiving treatments for an infection and being fed a high-quality diet, Ivan was able to dive in deep water and was cleared for release."
Scientists at CMA say, luckily, Ivan's shell deformity doesn't impede his ability to swim and forage.
This is the third sea turtle release for Clearwater Marine Aquarium in 2021. There are currently six sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation at CMA’s marine life hospital.
To learn more, visit cmaquarium.org.
You can watch Ivan's release into the wild below.
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