A loggerhead sea turtle with only three flippers swam back into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after months of rehabilitation in Florida, drawing cheers from a bundled-up crowd and now carrying a satellite tracker to monitor her movements.
The turtle, named Pyari—a Hindi word meaning “beloved”—had been recovering at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach following a likely shark attack. The predator left her with severe injuries to her neck, shell, and front flippers, resulting in the amputation of most of her left forelimb.
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To prepare Pyari for her release, staff maintained her tank water at around 80 F (27 C) to help her acclimate. Beachgoers captured photos as she made her way down the sand, the long antenna of her satellite tracker waving behind her, before disappearing into the waves.
Heather Barron, chief science officer and veterinarian at the Marinelife Center, noted that while the beach air was chilly, ranging in the 40s Fahrenheit (4–9 C), the Atlantic remained at a comfortable 77 F (25 C), ideal for her return.
Pyari arrived at the center in November from the nearby Inwater Research Group, where staff began her care after the injuries left her in critical condition. The satellite tracker will now allow scientists to study how she adapts to swimming and surviving in the wild with just three flippers.