Once fit for release, the turtle was transported to the South Carolina Aquarium, where it spent a night under the observation of staff from both aquariums.
On November 15 - a beautiful, sunny day - members of the South Carolina Aquarium and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources joined forces with the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
The turtle was fitted with a satellite tag so that its migration and behaviors could be recorded for further study. Off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, the turtle returned to the sea.
Tracking
MARP team members and scientists around the world monitored the turtle’s migration.
“The turtle traveled south towards warmer waters and coastal habitat,” Schofield explained. The movements were exactly what scientists had hoped for.
When the tag stopped transmitting on January 25, 2003, the turtle was off the coast of Vero Beach, Florida.
Everyone involved was optimistic about the turtle’s future, and scientists had gained a significant amount of data to further knowledge of sea turtles.
What no one knew was that this surprising turtle had one more trick up its carapace. Continue...
