Sea turtle with missing flipper shows off recovery progress

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A sea turtle with a missing front flipper is showing off their recovery progress after it was accidentally caught by a fisherman near Myrtle Beach several months ago.

According to the South Carolina Aquarium, Ricotta the green sea turtle was taken in on Oct. 13, with additional damage to the front left flipper and beak, encircling its neck.

Ricotta was caught at the Myrtle Beach State Park Fishing Pier when a fisherman’s gear caught onto the fishing line, which Ricotta had gotten entangled in for some time, resulting in the loss of its right flipper.

The facility said the turtle will continue living and recovering at the aquarium, as it continues to get used to swimming with one flipper and improving its lung volume.

According to the aquarium’s website, Ricotta moved to their sea turtle recovery area on March 15 where it can be spotted swimming in their largest and deepest tank, as a form of physical therapy.

Their Sea Turtle Care Center “aids sick and injured sea turtles in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources … in hopes that they will become reproductive members of the sea turtle population.”

Source: WFLA