Meet Tortellini

This green sea turtle has an amazing story of survival that eventually led to her current home at Sobela Ocean Aquarium. Tortellini was rescued in February 2020 after she was found floating near Spring Hill, Florida. She had a healed wound on her carapace, or shell, where Tortellini was likely struck by a boat, causing buoyancy issues and affecting the use of the hind flippers.

At Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Tortellini was one of their most “spunky” patients. Unfortunately, due to her buoyancy disorder, she was eventually deemed non-releasable by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Clearwater staff focused their effors on helping Tortellini prepare for the day she would have a permanent home. They created an environmental enrichment device (EED), which helped Tortellini dive down to deeper depths. This resilient girl enjoyed the EED so much that she began to frequently swim alongside it!

Tortellini is quite a smart girl and is now trained to freely swim into a basket that is used to remove her from her pool! She has also learned how to participate in medical exams through target pole training and positive reinforcement with some of her favorite snacks like squid and sea grass.

Green sea turtles are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List due to issues like habitat loss, hunting, vessel strikes, and disease. Sea turtles are now protected under the Endangered Species Act, which was established by the federal government to conserve endangered and threatened species.

Upon your visit to Sobela Ocean Aquarium, you’ll find Tortellini in the Sandy Shore habitat near the front entrance. We can’t wait for you to meet this amazing ambassador for her species!