Chia the sea turtle may be small, but they’re also incredibly tough! After getting hurt in an unfortunate entanglement situation, this little critter made it through an amputation procedure and rehab like a champ. Months later, the tiny reptile was finally ready to be released back into the water! The South Carolina Aquarium shared a touching video from the momentous occasion.
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In the clip, the aquarium explained that Chia was their smallest patient ever. They also revealed that this animal was a Kemp’s ridley, the “most endangered sea turtle species in the world.” So, Chia’s release back into the wild was quite the victory for a variety of reasons!
Getting this creature back where they belonged wasn’t exactly easy. According to the South Carolina Aquarium, sea turtles as young as Chia are supposed to be feeding on sargassum — which meant that the reptile would need to be relocated to an area where it’s abundantly available. Thankfully, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the United States Coast Guard were able to help get the turtle a ride!
Footage from Chia’s release shows the sweet little creature being gently placed into the water. Immediately, the sea turtle swam off! It’s truly heartwarming to see the animal finally enjoying their newfound freedom post-recovery.
Chia was one of five sea turtles to be released.
It turns out that Chia wasn’t the only Kemp’s ridley sea turtle released into the water that day. Four more of these animals were also given a second chance in the wild: Beignet, Home Fry, Loaf, and Griddle!
“As the most endangered sea turtle species in the world, these five rehabilitated Kemp’s ridleys represent small but critical steps in supporting their widespread recovery,” wrote the aquarium in their social media caption.
What an incredible moment this was!
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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