Sea turtle hooked by fisherman to be released from rehabilitation

PORT ST. JOE, Fla. – An adult female loggerhead sea turtle is set to be released back into the Gulf of Mexico after being in rehabilitation at the Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI) for almost three months. That’s in the Florida Panhandle.

The loggerhead, named Jaime, entered rehab after a recreational fisherman accidentally hooked her at the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier in Santa Rosa County on May 27, 2022. She was able to naturally relieve herself of the hooks, one in her mouth and one in her intestines, while under consistent monitoring by GWMI veterinary staff. Both the GWMI staff and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have cleared her for release.

This is the fourth instance where Jaime has been accidentally caught at a pier. The last time she was released was in February 2020.

The public release event will be on August 19 at 10 a.m. across from Salinas Park.