Moira — found “cold-stunned” off the coast of British Columbia in February — was sent to San Diego so she could be released in warmer waters that are more natural for her species.
A loggerhead sea turtle is back in the ocean Thursday following months of rehabilitation.
SeaWorld San Diego says the turtle Moira was originally found cold-stunned off the coast of British Columbia in February. Cold-stunned is a condition in which sea turtles become very weak and inactive from exposure to cold temperatures.
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She's only the second loggerhead turtle ever to be found there. Her body temperature was only 46 degrees, far below normal.
Moira was sent to San Diego earlier this week so she could be released in warmer waters that are more natural for her species.
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SeaWorld's rescue team says that they made sure she was ready before they released her.
"She was diving amazing. She was foraging at the bottom of the pool at SeaWorld San Diego," Jeni Smith with the rescue team said. "She has a satellite tag device attached to her, so I just checked it, and she's heading in the right direction ... The fact that she could dive immediately after being on a four-hour flight and then seeing that she knew exactly where to go, we pointed her in the right direction, and she knew that her turtle instincts told her to head south, and that's exactly what we'd like to see."
SeaWorld says it took about seven months to gradually raise Moira's body temperature to where it should be.
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Loggerhead sea turtles are listed as an endangered species.
