In honor of World Turtle Day, May 23, members of the Marathon community joined forces with The Turtle Hospital to release a 200 pound (!!!) loggerhead sea turtle into the ocean.
Residents, vacationers, the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, and The Turtle Hospital team congregated on Sombrero Beach in Marathon Tuesday morning to release "Don," a male sea turtle that was rescued from Vaca Cut in April.
Turtle Hospital officials say Don was disentangled and treated at the for wounds on his face and shoulder. Treatment included broad spectrum antibiotics, vitamins, and a healthy diet of squid and fish. But yesterday, on World Turtle Day, Don was ready to be released into the sea!
You can catch Don's happy reunion with his natural habitat, here:
Sea turtles serve a vital role in the ecosystem, but populations worldwide have continued to decline. The Keys-based Turtle Hospital works to rescue, rehabilitate, and release as many turtles as possible into the sea.