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SeaWorld returns 10 critically endangered sea turtles to the wild in Brevard County

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — After months of rehabilitation, SeaWorld returned 10 critically endangered sea turtles to the ocean in Brevard County on Monday.

The 10 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were released at Canaveral National Seashore. They were rescued by the New England Aquarium and National Marine Life Center in November 2021 after being stranded and cold-stunned on Cape Cod.

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Officials said that after receiving initial care in the Northeast, the sea turtles were flown to SeaWorld Orlando on Dec. 2, 2021, for treatment and rehabilitation.

READ: It’s sea turtle nesting season: Here are 9 ways you can help hatchlings survive

The 10 juvenile turtles join more than 2,500 sick, stranded, and injured sea turtles rescued and rehabilitated by SeaWorld coast-to-coast since 1980.

SeaWorld officials said they rescue an average of 140 sea turtles each year, and 16 have already been rescued this year.

Photos: SeaWorld returns 10 critically endangered sea turtles to the wild in Brevard County

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.