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Massive sea turtle returns to the ocean off Florida after treatment for a boat strike
US FL LOGGERHEAD TURTLE RELEASED 20250730cr_1920x1080.jpg
A loggerhead sea turtle named Pennywise has returned to the Atlantic Ocean. The 302-pound turtle was found stranded off Florida’s coast in May after a boat strike caused significant shell trauma. - photo by AP Video/Cody Jackson
JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A massive sea turtle that was found injured along the Florida coast in May following a boat strike was returned to the ocean on Wednesday. The adult female, named Pennywise and weighing 302 pounds (137 kilograms), was deemed healthy and strong enough to return to the wild after being treated by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s veterinary team in Palm Beach County, Florida, for the past few months. After a short ride from the center, six volunteers hauled the turtle on a gurney down the beach as dozens of people captured the moment with cell phone videos and photos.