Turtle Released Into Gulf A Year After Rescue

A loggerhead sea turtle that was saved about a year ago has been released back into the wild.

Allie, the loggerhead sea turtle, was released into the Gulf of Mexico Saturday.

She was rescued last year after being found floating near Alligator Point Beach, according to the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab.

When she was found, the 50-year-old turtle was sick, weak and thin, the lab said.

But Saturday she was healthy and weighed about 230 pounds, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

To get Allie to the water, she was loaded on a sling into a climate-controlled van to take her to Bald Point State Park. She was then carried into the water, the FWC said.

Allie dived in and disappeared. But she came back to the surface to say goodbye, the lab said.

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