375-pound great-grandfather sea turtle released back into Florida ocean after rehab

A sea turtle has been sent back into the ocean off the coast of Florida after recovering from some serious wounds. 

Bubba is a 375-pound loggerhead sea turtle who was found by biologists with Inwater Research in St. Lucie County, Florida, on April 10.

Biologists noticed the large animal had injuries on both of his front flippers, so they stepped in to help.

After using a crane to pull him out of the water and into the back of a pickup truck, Bubba was brought to the Brevard Zoo Sea Turtle Healing Center in Melbourne, Florida, the center told Fox News Digital. 

At the rehabilitation center, it took seven volunteers to lift Bubba’s large presence out of the truck and into the facility. 

A preliminary exam confirmed that Bubba’s front flippers were injured, likely due to an attack, and that he needed treatment as soon as possible.

He also had an intense infestation of marine leeches, which caused the sea turtle to become anemic, according to the Brevard Zoo.

Although Bubba was Brevard Zoo’s first adult male loggerhead patient, they determined he was anywhere between 60 and 75 years old — and likely a great-grandfather. 

A spokesperson for the Brevard Zoo told Fox News Digital that Bubba went through an intense rehabilitation process. 

“In addition to receiving antibiotics and good nutrition, 375-pound Bubba received regular wound cleanings along with cold laser therapy on his front flippers,” the spokesperson said. 

“Our Healing Center team’s goal is to release all our sea turtle patients back to the ocean, which was especially important for Bubba, who is a breeding male.”

After three months of rehabilitation, Bubba finally returned to the water on Wednesday, July 10, with 300 bystanders cheering him on. 

Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center manager Shanon Gann told Fox News Digital this might have been their best-attended release ever. 

“Being able to share what the Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center does with the community is a blessing,” she said. 

She added, “Releasing Bubba was extra special because we know he is a reproductive male, and we are currently in nesting season.”

Gann said the zoo’s veterinary staff are on call 12 hours a day, 365 days a year to “assist sick and injured sea turtles,” and that she was excited to see so many people show up for Bubba’s release. 

The Brevard Zoo opened its gates to the public in March 1994.

Since then, it’s had a mission of caring for animals, connecting visitors with the natural world, educating diverse audiences, inspiring the community and achieving conservation results, the zoo said.