Rehabilitated sea turtle returned to Gulf of Mexico

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Volunteers have brought a rehabilitated loggerhead sea turtle to a Florida beach to return it to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Panama City News Herald reports that a crowd of about a 100 gathered Thursday morning at Laguna Beach in Panama City Beach to watch Gulf World Marine Institute volunteers carry “Chester” to the water.

A fisherman accidentally caught Chester off of a pier in August, and staff alerted the wildlife rehabilitation facility. Veterinarians removed two hooks from the turtle’s mouth and esophagus.

The reptile spent about six weeks recovering.

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Information from: The (Panama City, Fla.) News Herald, http://www.newsherald.com