Jack, a green sea turtle, before he was released.

After riding for several hours in a car, the loggerhead sea turtle had lifted its head with apparent interest when the hatch swung open, flapping a flipper at staff members from The Florida Aquarium in Tampa.

And the flapping grew more intense when they hoisted the 50-pound turtle toward the Intracoastal Waterway off Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County.

But, upon entering the waterway, Teddy seemed to lose interest, swimming a few feet away, then turning back and lifting both head and flipper out of the water.

“He’s saying bye,” said Virginia Wright-Placeres, a staff member at the aquarium.

But Teddy didn’t leave. The turtle swam nearby while staff members released a 10-pound green sea turtle, nicknamed Jack, into the water.

Both turtles were found stranded and malnourished in different locations on the Treasure Coast four to five months ago and brought them to the aquarium in Tampa to recover, said Susan Coy, a veterinary technician at the aquarium. Staff members never learned the sex of the turtles, because that would have required a blood test, which wasn’t necessary for their treatment.

“We try to release them as close to where they get picked up,” Coy said.

Jack, ignoring the hesitation of the other turtle, quickly swam out into deeper waters while Teddy seemed to watch for a moment.

“Go, bye, have fun,” Wright-Placeres said, blowing a kiss as the bigger turtle finally swam off.

Teddy, a loggerhead turtle, was released today.

Tags: Hutchinson Island, St. Lucie County, Turtles

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