A non-native, juvenile olive ridley sea turtle has been released off the Florida Keys.
Officials say the 30-pound turtle named Harry was released Thursday with a small satellite transmitter affixed to the top of its shell. The electronic device should provide tracking data to help marine biologists gain insights into the reptile’s movements in unfamiliar territory, before it detaches in two to six months.
Harry was rescued by recreational boaters in early February, entangled in a large fishing net, off the Upper Keys. Emaciated and near death, the reptile was transported to the Florida Keys-based Turtle Hospital for treatment.
Hospital officials say that olive ridley turtles typically live in the southern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. They added that there have been only six documented olive ridleys seen in Florida waters.