ANNA MARIA – A small crowd clapped and cheered as Mote Marine’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital staff released a loggerhead sea turtle, nicknamed “O-H,” into Tampa Bay from Bayfront Park on Wednesday, March 24.
The release was in view of the Anna Maria City Pier, where Mote Marine plans to establish a marine educational outreach center. Officials from Mote and the city are negotiating terms.
The turtle was floating in a residential canal in Bradenton on Dec. 12, 2020 when a family spotted it and called Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program. After transport to the turtle hospital, O-H was diagnosed with buoyancy issues and a missing right rear flipper.
Over the course of treatment, O-H overcame the buoyancy issues, eventually moving to one of Mote’s large medical pools, where it was treated with antibiotics, antifungals and folic acid.
Loggerheads are a common sight around Anna Maria Island, where sea turtle nesting season begins on May 1 and lasts through Halloween.
If you see a distressed or deceased sea turtle, manatee, dolphin or whale in Sarasota or Manatee counties, report it to Mote’s Stranding Investigations Program 24 hours a day at 888-345-2335. In other Florida counties, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.
When calling, be ready to provide a thorough description of the animal, its behaviors and the location, and take photos and video if possible.
Mote advises against attempting to rescue any animal in distress.
