ANNA MARIA – Five months after an apparent collision with a boat left him with multiple injuries, a rehabilitated green sea turtle nicknamed “Pierre” by Mote Aquarium staff was released back into the wild on July 5.
Pierre had been found on Jan. 31 floating on the water’s surface near the Anna Maria City Pier. He had suffered multiple fractures and a large piece of his carapace – or upper shell – was damaged, but there was no neurologic damage.
“Veterinary Surgery Center of Sarasota was kind enough to do a CT scan for us to determine the extent of the trauma,” Mote Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital Aquarist Weston Spoon said.
Pierre had numerous fibropapilloma tumors, which were surgically removed. After a second surgery to remove a tumor on his eye in May, he continued to gain weight and eat well.
Following his successful recovery, workers from the facility released Pierre into the waters off Bayfront Park, a short distance from where he had been found.
“He was found stranded near the City Pier, so it’s best to release them near where they’re stranded,” Spoon said, adding that Pierre is expected to acclimate easily back into his watery environment.
“Studies have been done that show they will go about their lives just as before,” Spoon said.
Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital has admitted more than 650 sick and injured sea turtles since 1995.
“We aim to help all our turtle patients return to the wild and contribute to their populations for years to come,” according to the Mote website. “This matters greatly: All sea turtle species are threatened or endangered.”
While it was difficult to determine Pierre’s age, Spoon said he was a juvenile less than 10 years old. Green sea turtles have a life expectancy of up to 80 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are far less common in the waters off Anna Maria Island than loggerheads, but both nest on area beaches from May through October.
