Four loggerhead sea turtles rescued by the Georgia Aquarium headed back into their natural habitat this week.
The aquarium released the creatures off the coast of Cape Canaveral on Monday. The sea turtles had been under the care of Georgia Aquarium staff as part of the New England Aquarium’s sea turtle rescue program.
Aquarists found the sea turtles in freezing cold water temperatures off the coast of Cape Cod on Dec. 14. The Georgia Aquarium was one of several places that took the turtles in.
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🐢On Monday, we released our four temporary residents off the coast of Cape Canaveral, FL. These loggerhead sea turtles came to us cold-stunned from New England in December. They were cared for by our teams until they were warm and healthy enough to be released. pic.twitter.com/twzDC2OLlH
— Georgia Aquarium (@GeorgiaAquarium) January 29, 2021
Loggerhead sea turtles are named for their large heads and spend much of their time floating at the ocean’s surface.
The animals can usually weigh anywhere between 200 to 350 pounds and reach up to 3 feet in length. While they reach maturity at 20 years old, loggerheads can live well over 100 years.
To get the care they need, it includes helping with their usual diets. The diet can consist of mollusks, clams, whelks, crabs, oysters, shrimp, sponges and horseshoe crabs, according to the aquarium.
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