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Rehabilitated green sea turtle released off Florida Keys

Posted at 12:42 PM, Jul 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-22 12:42:39-04

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) - A rehabilitated green sea turtle has been fitted with a satellite tracking transmitter and released off the Florida Keys.

The reptile was treated at the Keys-based Turtle Hospital after being entangled in fishing gear.

Argus, as the turtle was known to hospital staff, was released Friday. He will join the Tour de Turtles, a three-month-long race featuring public online monitoring of the forward progress of 20 sea turtles.

The project is organized by the Sea Turtle Conservancy, and the online competition begins Aug. 1.

Tour de Turtles follows the long-distance migration of several different species of sea turtles. The turtle covering the most distance will be declared the winner.

Competitors have been or will be released off Florida's Atlantic coastline, as well as Panama, Costa Rica, Cuba and Nevis in the Caribbean.