ABOVE: Coastal Stewards staff members Dr. Shelby Loos (left) and Kara Portocarrero prepare to release juvenile green sea turtles that had been treated at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. Loos, veterinarian and marine life conservation director, holds Terra. Portocarrero, rescue and rehabilitation coordinator, carries Marina. Terra was the first turtle to be rehabbed at Gumbo Limbo since March 2023. Terra arrived April 26 with fishhooks in a flipper and down its esophagus. Loos removed the hooks, and Terra received care to ensure it was eating and recovering before being released July 18. Marina arrived May 28 after being hooked in the mouth and flipper by a fisherman at the Deerfield Beach pier.
BELOW: Spectators record the release.
Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
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