Support Us Button Widget

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).

More from TBAYtoday
There’s ample Tampa Bay waterways, and we break down some of best ways to explore them.
Take a look at the latest Broadway shows, live shows, comedy, and orchestra performances coming to the Tampa venue over the next several months.
From pop legends to chart-topping bands, there’s no shortage of concerts to see this year in the Tampa Bay area.
Spoiler alert: Traffic isn’t great. We dove into the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s congestion data so you don’t have to.
Everything you need to know about TBAY’s Thanksgiving races, ranging from 1 mile runs to 8K’s.
Over the next 10 days, we’re launching a reader-driven campaign to sustain what we do best.
The Tampa theme park is adding five lions, two hyenas, and a huge savanna.
From concerts to community festivals, we’ve got you covered.
Sponsored
It’s nearly turkey time and we’re ready to feast on these decadent pies and spreads.