Sea turtle returned to the wild

‘Stanley,’ a tiny loggerhead sea turtle, was returned to the sea on Tuesday, July 3. Stanley is believed to be a hatchling from 2011 and is the first turtle at a young life stage to be admitted to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital.

The 15-ounce turtle with a 5-inch upper shell was released into floating seaweed called Sargassum, where sea turtles this size normally rest and feed. Stanley’s offshore release was possible thanks to boat transportation donated by Marine Max.

This release is a happy ending to an unusual story: Stanley appears to be a hatchling from 2011 and is the first-ever patient to arrive at Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital during this stage of life. Loggerhead sea turtles Stanley’s size normally stay miles offshore; how Stanley remained behind is unknown. Mote staff gave Stanley food and antibiotics, cleaned his abscesses and monitored them carefully to ensure they were healing. The turtle began eating on its own within days and it showed a healthy appetite and good energy throughout