SANIBEL, Fla. -- A critically endangered sea turtle is swimming safely again after recovering from an injury at the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife.
The Kemp's ridley turle sea was released Monday morning on Sanibel beach.
(Video courtesy: CROW)
According to CROW, the turtle was accidentally hooked by a fisherman on the Fort Myers Beach pier on July 20. The fisherman immediately contacted CROW for help and volunteers for Turtle Time, Inc. came to the aid of the turtle.
The turtle was transported by boat to Sanibel Island where CROW Staff were waiting at the dock to transport it to the wildlife hospital.
Veterinarians anesthetized the turtle and were able to safely remove the hook. Luckily, the hook was embedded at the back of the mouth and veterinarians used bolt cutters to clip the barb of the hook and easily remove the hook.
The turtle was tagged with flipper tags and a microchip before being cleared for release.
If you accidentally hook a sea turtle, do not cut the line and release the turtle. Reel it in slowly and immediately contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at (888) 404-FWCC (3922) or CROW at (239) 472-3644 ext. #222.
