BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A young green sea turtle rescued after becoming tangled in discarded fishing gear is back in the Atlantic Ocean after weeks of rehabilitation.
The turtle, named Soggy Bottom, was released Wednesday morning at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach after recovering at the East Coast Zoological Foundation’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center at Brevard Zoo.
Wildlife officials said the turtle was found trapped on rocks near Jetty Park’s fishing pier with fishing line wrapped around its neck and front flipper.
After receiving medical care, proper nutrition and time to heal, Soggy Bottom was healthy enough to return to the wild.
Wildlife experts say discarded fishing gear remains one of the biggest threats to sea turtles.
“Support facilities and organizations like Keep Brevard Beautiful or there are some local scuba diving groups that will go out and remove all of that fishing line that entangles itself around pier pylons and around the rocks and areas around fishing piers,” said Shannon Gann, program manager at Brevard Zoo.
Experts are reminding anglers to properly dispose of fishing line, retrieve lost gear whenever possible and avoid fishing when sea turtles are nearby to help prevent future entanglements.
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