If you are in need of a good-new story to brighten your day, you have come to the right place. An injured sea turtle has beaten the odds, came back from losing two flippers, and learned to swim again.
Lou, an olive ridley sea turtle, had two of its flippers amputated five years ago after they were caught in a fishing net. He has been under the watchful and caring eye of workers at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island, Australia.
The Rehabilitation Centre has been teaching Lou to swim. He lost his left front fin, as well as his right-back fin. Thankfully this gives Lou one appendage on each side.
“It took him a while, but once he got going, he was moving at great speed,” said Jennie Gilbert, the co-founder of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.
“It’s a great show of determination and resilience,” Gilbert added.
The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre said that Lou was doing so well at swimming that they decided to release him back into the ocean last week off the coast of Cape York in Far North Queensland. Additionally, the group posted on Facebook about the amazing recovery.
“Lou, after a long journey by plane and 4 wheel drive was released on the Cape this morning,” the post said. “It was a wonderful release, and huge thanks to everyone who has made this possible. You’ve got this, Lou!”
Once released, Gilbert said that the moment was very special.
“The cute thing was there was a smaller turtle who took a peek at Lou. It was almost like the small one saying, ‘Welcome back to the country.'”
We are rooting for you, Lou!
Olive Ridley Sea Turtle
Olive ridley sea turtles are the second smallest and some of the most abundant sea turtles in the sea. The turtles only grow around two feet in length, and they live up to 50 years. In addition, olive ridley sea turtles rarely weigh over 110 pounds.
[H/T New York Post]
