The release was an especially heartwarming event for police staff of Sarasota County, Florida. Boaters had found the female loggerhead struggling to stay afloat off the Venice Fishing Pier. Officer Joyce and his team of the Venice Police Marine Patrol had been the ones to safely extract the struggling sea turtle out of the water and into the boat. “It literally takes a minimum of four people” to do that for an animal of that size. The loggerhead turtle was later-on named “Joyce” in honour of the Venice Police Marine Patrol officer who had rescued her. In the Mote Marine Laboratory’s sea turtle hospital, Joyce was treated for signs of neurological issued and buoyancy. It took several weeks, but eventually, she was able to swim in deeper water again and forage for her own food. After 105 days at the rescue clinic, she was ready for release.
The second turtle was “Hookee”, a juvenile green sea turtle named after the hook caught in his oesophagus, who had been found by fishermen. He stayed another 18 days at the rehabilitation centre after the surgery.
Both turtles were released together near a private residence in the area with the help of the Venice Police Marine Patrol officer. Mote says, “the successful rescue, rehabilitation and release of both Hookee and Joyce stress the important role that private citizens can play in aiding local wildlife.” When finding a distressed or diseased marine mammal, it should be reported to trained responders immediately so they can respond as quickly as possible.
The full report with a link to Joyce full story can be found here: https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20200709/sea-turtle-release-joyous-event-for-police-mote-staff
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