Gulfarium CARE Center releases five sea turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico

SANTA ROSA BEACH — The Gulfarium CARE Center released five rehabilitated sea turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday in an event that attracted locals and tourists to Topsail Hill Preserve State Park in Walton County.

Among the released turtles was Lapinta, a subadult loggerhead sea turtle. Lapinta was accidentally foul-hooked at the Okaloosa Fishing Pier on June 7. Despite this, she had no other injuries and was allowed to return to her ocean home.

Lapinta received her name thanks to a donation at the first-ever C.A.R.E on the Coast fundraising event in May.

Another foul-hooked turtle at the Okaloosa Fishing Pier was Charlotte, an adult Kemp's ridley turtle weighing 60.5 pounds. After being medically cleared, she returned to the warm Gulf waters with no other injuries.

The next two turtles were foul-hooked at the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier. Dorothy, weighing in at 84 pounds, was found to have one internal hook in her gastrointestinal tract, which passed naturally. Joining her in a return to the Gulf was Lillith, a 60-pound adult Kemp's ridley hooked on June 11.

The turtles had no other injuries and were released.

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Another turtle cared for at the CARE Center was a 136-pound subadult loggerhead named Rallis, who was hooked in the front left flipper with a tarpon jig at the Pensacola Beach fishing pier.

The Gulfarium CARE Center encourages anyone who sees a sea turtle in distress, injured or deceased to report it immediately to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922).

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Gulfarium releases rehabilitated sea turtles back into Gulf of Mexico