SANIBEL, Fla. – A female loggerhead sea turtle was released Monday afternoon after receiving treatment at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel. CROW staff released the turtle on the beach at the north end of Captiva.
The 190-pound sea turtle was found floating and unable to dive on May 12 by boaters in the waters off Captiva. FWC officials brought the turtle to the South Seas Marina where CROW staff met them at the dock.
When the turtle arrived to the clinic it was noted to be dehydrated, emaciated and covered in algae and other organisms, a sign it had been floating near the surface for some time.
The turtle was given antibiotics, fluids and plenty of crabs, squid and fish. On Friday, June 9, the loggerhead turtle was tagged using two flipper tags and a passive integrated transponder(PIT) tag prior to release so it can be identified in the future.
