National Aquarium Animal Rescue released 32 rehabilitated sea turtles at Canaveral National Seashore in New Smyrna Beach, Florida this week. In cooperation with Virginia Aquarium and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the turtles – 29 Kemp’s ridley and three loggerhead sea turtles – were released back into the ocean.
Of the 32 turtles, 26 were transported from the rehabilitation facility at the National Aquarium, where the majority had been recuperating from symptoms associated with cold stunning. Cold stunning is the sea turtle equivalent of hypothermia. The 26 turtles were initially rescued along the Massachusetts coast in November 2024 by volunteers with the Massachusetts Audubon Society.
The other six turtles – four Kemp’s ridley and two loggerhead sea turtles – were rehabilitated at Virginia Aquarium before being picked up by the National Aquarium release team earlier this week on the way to Florida. The turtles were all released on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
One of the turtles released was a 65-pound loggerhead sea turtle the National Aquarium staff called “Ghost.” Ghost was originally rescued from the intercoastal waters of Ocean City, MD in October 2024. It had suffered an injury to its hind flipper that caused a bone infection and has since been effectively treated.
National Aquarium Animal Rescue prioritizes releasing rehabilitated animals as soon as they are medically cleared for release. This is why the sea turtles needed to make the long journey to Florida for release because the water temperatures there are more suitable for their survival. Waiting for the water in the mid-Atlantic region to become warm enough to release the turtles here would have required they stay at the rehabilitation center longer than necessary.
Fifteen rescued sea turtles of various ages remain in the car of the National Aquarium’s Animal Rescue team.
