{"id":2173505,"date":"2024-03-16T18:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-16T17:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2173505"},"modified":"2024-03-16T18:35:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-16T17:35:13","slug":"rescue-rehabilitation-and-release-a-sea-turtle-success-story-to-kick-off-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/rescue-rehabilitation-and-release-a-sea-turtle-success-story-to-kick-off-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release: A Sea Turtle Success Story to Kick off 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cMojo,\u201d a 500+ pound leatherback sea turtle, stranded on Miami\u2019s South Beach just before the new year. He\u2019s estimated to be 30 to 35 years old.<\/p>\n

According to NOAA, leatherback sea turtles are the largest turtles in the world. They\u2019re the only species lacking scales and a hard shell and have existed in their current form since the age of dinosaurs. Their build allows them to dive deeper than most marine mammals \u2013 with the deepest recorded dive reaching nearly 4,000 feet. They\u2019re highly migratory and can swim over 10,000 miles a year between their nesting and foraging grounds.<\/p>\n

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A rare and endangered leatherback sea turtle stranded on Miami\u2019s South Beach, likely due to entanglements in marine debris. The Turtle Hospital<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cLeatherbacks act as keystone species within the pelagic, or open ocean, ecosystem, as they control jellyfish populations,\u201d said Callie Veelenturf, the founder and executive director of conservation organization The Leatherback Project.<\/p>\n

\u201cJellyfish consume fish and fish larva, so sea turtles contribute to healthy ocean ecosystems and also support local fishing communities by controlling blooming jellyfish populations.\u201d Veelenturf was not involved in Mojo\u2019s rescue or rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

Miami-Dade Sea Turtles responded to the emergency call for Mojo on Dec. 29. In an Instagram post, the conservation group detailed how the male sea turtle struggled in the shore break of Miami\u2019s most famous beach.<\/p>\n

Eventually, they brought him ashore for an initial assessment. In pictures, Mojo appears with wounds on his upper carapace and head. A capture shows the magnificent reptile staring at the lights of the big city.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Miami-Dade Sea Turtles (@miamidadeseaturtles)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n