INLET BEACH, Fla. (WMBB) — A rare Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, accidentally hooked off by a fisherman off M.B. Miller County pier this summer, is back home Friday.
Gulf World Marine Institute staff members released the turtle this morning at Inlet Beach in Walton County.
When Gulf World received the turtle, they found the hook, as well as other fishing tackle tangled around his flippers.
They removed all of that, named him Simon, then nursed him back to health.
Gulf World Marine Institute Stranding Coordinator Lauren Albrittain said the Kemp’s Ridley Turtle population is growing, but they’re still endangered.
“Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles are critically endangered because historically their nesting grounds were not protected,” Albrittain said. “And so we lost a lot and we are still struggling with recovery. That being said, we are making great progress their nesting grounds are being more and more protected.”
Albrittain said Simon and a lot of the other recent rescues have been named after characters on the Netflix show Bridgerton.
