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The Florida Aquarium releases 8 sea turtles back into the wild

The animals are back in the Atlantic Ocean after rehabilitating in Apollo Beach.

Side by side photos of Pepper the juvenile green sea turtle. The photo on the left shows Pepper in disheveled form, appearing to be covered in mossy-like material on a medical table. On the right, Pepper swims in clear blue water water, looking fully healthy and with far brighter coloring on the shell.

Pepper at intake vs. Pepper at release.

Photo via the Florida Aquarium

And they lived happily ever after.

Thanks to the efforts of The Florida Aquarium, eight juvenile green sea turtles are swimming in open waters again after their release on Wednesday, June 26.

Mel, Calico, Tula, Pompano, Phyll, Mo, Mac, and Pepper were found stranded off the east coast of Florida earlier this year. Due to prolonged exposure to cold air + water, the reptiles were suffering from skin infections, pneumonia, and other bacterial infections.

The eight turtles were taken to The Florida Aquarium’s Apollo Beach rehab center in March to undergo treatment and recover from their ordeal. The months of work since then led to the momentous release in Florida’s Ormond Beach.

To support the aquarium’s ongoing conservation efforts, you can visit in Tampa, check out the Apollo Beach campus, sign up for volunteer opportunities, or simply keep an eye out for Instagram updates (with footage of the release hopefully on its way).

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