Welcome home, Poppy: Sea Turtle Inc. adopts non-releasable sea turtle from Florida Organization

By Gaige Davila
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com 

Photo by The Turtle Hospital.

A new Loggerhead sea turtle has just arrived at South Padre Island’s Sea Turtle, Inc.

Poppy, a non-releasable Loggerhead, hails from The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida, where she arrived in May 2020, according to the South Florida Reporter. Poppy was struck by a boat propeller in the Florida Keys, severing her back left flipper and damaging her shell. She can no longer dive for food, unable to control her buoyancy. 

Poppy arrived at Sea Turtle, Inc. on Sunday, Sept. 26, via a private plane commissioned by Turtles Fly Too, a non profit that specializes in the relocation of endangered or threatened animals. The nearly five-hour flight to Texas was necessary, because, even after the treatment she received at The Turtle Hospital, she can’t be released. 

This is due to the weights attached to Poppy’s shell. The weights are placed to help Poppy stabilize her buoyancy but fall off over time. Under the care of Sea Turtle Inc, Poppy will have weights reattached each time her shell grows and they fall off. 

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