On Monday, Nov. 13, 2006, the National Aquarium in Baltimore's Marine Animal Rescue Program released a rehabilitated loggerhead sea turtle, Ed, off the coast of Ocracoke Island, N.C.
Ed's History
Stranded near Hooper's Island, in Dorchester County, Md., on July 27, 2006, Ed was initially caught in the pound net of a local fisherman. Turtles frequently find themselves in pound nets, which don’t normally injure the animals. Local fishermen contacted the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which responds to distress calls to weigh, measure, and tag the stranded animals.
The cause of trauma to the flipper was identified as a severe recreational fishing line entanglement, which had cut blood supply to the flipper, which, ultimately, was surgically removed.
Tagged and Released
Ed, who measured 74.2 centimeters wide by 80.6 centimeters long, and weighed 108 pounds upon admittance, began eating and gaining weight in the weeks following the surgery.
During rehabilitation, the turtle gained nearly 10 pounds on a diet of squid, herring, and crabs. It took Ed some time to learn to maneuver with only three flippers, but he was soon swimming around the pool and interacting with environmental enrichment devices (various “toys” that simulate objects turtles might find in their natural environment).
Ed was transferred to the Virginia Aquarium on Oct. 19 for continued rehabilitation, and was released off the coast of Ocracoke Island, N.C., on Nov. 13.
