A baby sea turtle ended up in a backyard during the hurricane in Florida. See its rescue
Look what Nicole blew in: A wayward baby sea turtle bandied about by the hurricane in Central Florida last week found its way back home, thanks to some caring folks.
On a Facebook post, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office explains that a “concerned citizen” spotted the hatchling on Thursday and brought it to Wabasso Bait & Tackle Shack in Vero Beach.
Scott Freeman, whose family runs the shop, told the Miami Herald Monday that one of his customers spotted the lost reptile in her backyard and called the store for help.
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“It was a little thing,” said Freeman. “He was wore out.”
Freeman says the roughly “quarter size” creature was placed in the bait tank so it could rest; after a short while, it came around, and began to chase a shrimp.
“He was having a blast,” Freeman added. “At one point, I think he must have been going 50 mph. It was cute to watch.”
Folks from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and ICSO both responded to the shack to assess the turtle’s health, said Freeman.
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Deputies from the ICSO ended up releasing the turtle back into the water south of the Sebastian Inlet. Accompanying video with the FB post shows the hatchling paddling away.
The office ends by saying that turtles often become stranded in unsafe locations during storms. If you see one, do not take any eggs home and do not release them until the bad weather has subsided or they may not survive.
You can always contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC to let the professionals know the location of so the turtles may be recovered and receive “appropriate care.”
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 11:03 AM with the headline "A baby sea turtle ended up in a backyard during the hurricane in Florida. See its rescue."
