Overview
- After federal permitting and fundraising to charter a private flight, the 310-pound sea turtle landed at St. Paul’s Holman Field on Oct. 27 for transfer to the zoo.
- Found stranded in 2016 in Cape May, New Jersey, she was first aided by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center before years of rehabilitation at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center.
- A spinal injury left her positively buoyant, preventing normal diving and resting behavior and leading authorities to deem her non-releasable.
- The Minnesota Zoo says she will be its largest sea turtle to date and a public-facing ambassador for sea turtle conservation and ocean health.
- Her future exhibit, the Atlantic Reef, is roughly 50 times larger than her previous pool and is designed to offer expansive space, enrichment, and mixed-species viewing.