Seattle Aquarium team nurses lost sea turtle back to health
Mar 7, 2016, 8:16 AM | Updated: Oct 1, 2024, 5:43 am
A "cold-stunned" olive ridley sea turtle has been recovering at the Seattle Aquarium since December. (Photo courtesy of Seattle Aquarium)
(Photo courtesy of Seattle Aquarium)
SEATTLE (AP) — By the time Tucker the turtle washed up on an Oregon beach, his body had nearly shut down.
Seattle Aquarium spokesman Tim Kuniholm told the Seattle Times that the olive ridley sea turtle had essentially become a piece of driftwood, borne away from the warm waters of Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
Tucker was sent to the aquarium after a beachcomber spotted him. At first, veterinarian Lesanna Lahner wasn’t sure the turtle was alive, but then she pinched his tail. He tucked it in, earning his name.
Rescued sea #turtle recuperating at the Aquarium. Read more: https://t.co/SRQ2NZL5zn pic.twitter.com/73Spzp0iJM
— Seattle Aquarium (@SeattleAquarium) February 3, 2016
Lahner and her team slowly warmed Tucker up, helped regulate his breathing and fed him anchovies, shrimp and squid once he regained his appetite.
Next, Tucker needs swimming lessons to correct his buoyancy.
Lahner plans to release him in San Diego at the end of the month.
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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
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