A Leatherback sea turtle was released offshore of the Florida Keys after spending a little more than three weeks at The Turtle Hospital.
"Liberty" was transferred from Zoo Miami on Independence Day to the Marathon Turtle Hospital after she was rescued on the beach in Miami. She was found crawling in circles with a hurt flipper, according to the hospital.
The hospital gave her fluids and a special Leatherback diet while she was in rehab, according to an Instagram post. The diet included sea turtle gel with nutrients for her strength.
Liberty was also tethered to a string from her shell by the hospital staff to keep her from running into the sides of the tank.
"Leatherbacks will instinctually swim into the tank side, which is one of the reasons it’s so hard to keep them in a rehabilitation setting," a hospital Instagram post read.
The Turtle Hospital was then able to nurse her and her right flipper back to health, where the hospital and Two Conchs Charters partnered to help release her. Two Conchs' Captain Jack took the hospital staff that worked with Liberty offshore to release her into her natural habitat, the Gulf Stream.
"Join us as we wish Liberty the best of luck on her new journey out into the deep blue sea," the post said.
The Turtle Hospital is a nonprofit sea turtle rehabilitation center located in the Florida Keys. It is home to 12 permanent resident sea turtles that have been deemed unfit to be re-released.
The hospital also has 14 sea turtles undergoing treatment, including its newest patient, "Janice," who has an old healed predator wound but is suspected to be under the effect of biotoxins, according to the hospital's Instagram post.
