BALTIMORE — A 42-year-old sea turtle is now under care at the National Aquarium.
The 62-pound sea turtle is one of 10 Kemp's ridleys seeking a permanent home at aquariums and zoos across the country.
The Animal Care and Welfare teams welcomed the turtle on October 24. It made the long journey from Orlando, Florida on a private jet.
The turtle was raised at the Cayman Turtle Centre on Grand Cayman Island as part of a breeding program undertaken in the1980's in an effort to bolster the numbers of wild Kemp's ridley sea turtles. At the time, the turtles were close to extinction because of hunting and commercial fishing.
The turtle has already gone through a 90-day quarantine at Sea World Orlando, and will do the same at the National Aquarium before going into its eventual home in the Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit.
The aquarium will introduce him to the public next year.
