375-pound loggerhead sea turtle returns to Atlantic Ocean after 3 months of rehab in Florida

CBS News Miami

A 375-pound (170-kilogram) sea turtle has been released back into the Atlantic Ocean after three months of rehabilitation in Florida.

Officials with the Brevard Zoo released a male loggerhead named Bubba Wednesday afternoon in Cocoa Beach.

In this photo provided by the Brevard Zoo, Bubba, a 375-plus-pound loggerhead sea turtle, is released back into the Atlantic Ocean at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Brevard Zoo via AP) / AP

Biologists with Inwater Research found Bubba in St. Lucie County on April 10, officials said. After noticing injuries to both front flippers, they used a crane to pull him out of the water and into a carrier in their pickup truck to bring him to the zoo.

A preliminary exam found that Bubba had likely been injured in a predator attack. The sea turtle was also dealing with an intensive infestation of marine leeches, which were causing anemia.

Biologists estimate Bubba is 60 to 75 years old.

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