Georgia vets return sea turtles to ocean after long recovery

A pair of rare sea turtles have returned to the ocean after veterinarians spent nearly a year nursing them back to health on the Georgia coast.

The adult female loggerhead turtles were released into the surf Friday on the beach at Jekyll Island. Both had been patients at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the island's hospital for sick and injured sea turtles.

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A crowd of a few hundred people showed up on the sunny beach to bid pair of rare sea turtles farewell. Both had spent nine months or more recovering at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the island's hospital for sick and injured sea turtles.

Credit: Georgia Sea Turtle Center Facebook page

One was admitted last May after getting struck by a boat, according to a Jekyll Island news release. The other arrived in July after being found anemic and covered in barnacles and leeches.

A few hundred people, including children on school trips, turned out to bid the sea turtles farewell. It was the first time the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has held a turtle release publicly since 2019.

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A crowd of a few hundred people along and employees of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center gathered to cheer on Genie and Margoi as they made their journey out to sea.

Credit: Georgia Sea Turtle Center Facebook page

The turtles returned to the wild just before the nesting season for loggerhead sea turtles begins in Georgia on May 1.