Atlantic Ocean

Aquarium Treats 500-Pound Sea Turtle Found Stranded

A Fort Walton Beach aquarium spokeswoman says a distressed, 500-pound female leatherback turtle rescued Friday will soon be released back into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Pensacola News Journal reports that the turtle has been rehabilitating at the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park in Fort Walton Beach since being spotted struggling in shallow waters in Pensacola Beach on Friday morning.

Gulfarium spokeswoman Krista Stouffer says the turtle reached a stable condition under veterinary care over the weekend. She says the turtle will be released within the next few days if the progress continues.

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living turtles. The enormous turtles mainly nest on the Atlantic coast, but some live in the Gulf of Mexico.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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