Rescued green sea turtle gets new lease on life

SEAL BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- She may not have a name, but she has a new home, thanks to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

The 50-lb green sea turtle was released back into the wild in Seal Beach near the mouth of the San Gabriel River, after spending three weeks in rehabilitation at the aquarium in Long Beach.

"We did our initial evaluation and we didn't find a whole lot wrong," said Dr. Lance Adams, a veterinarian at the Aquarium of the Pacific. "So it seemed like all she needed was a little time to get her strength back."

The female turtle, expected to be 6 to 8-years old, was found trapped in a power plant intake area in San Luis Obispo County. The group that rescued her then transported her to Long Beach. The Aquarium has treated and released a number of stranded and injured sea turtles in the past.

Although this turtle, referred to as CM1902, was not injured due to ocean pollution, Dr. Adams has advice about keeping our oceans clean and our marine life safe.

"Help keep trash out of the environment, especially, plastic bags, rubber balloons," said Dr. Adams. "They're super curious animals, so a lot of times they will bite on a shoe or a piece of plastic just to find out if it's food."

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, breeding colony populations of green sea turtles in Florida and on the Pacific Coast of Mexico are listed as endangered; all others are listed as threatened.