Gulf of Mexico Sea Turtle Found in the Netherlands Goes Home

AFTER A GRAND TRAVEL ADVENTURE, A SMALL SEA TURTLE GOES BACK TO THE GULF OF MEXICO FROM THE NETHERLANDS

Sea turtles are pretty amazing creatures, and I’m still a little sad that my one major foray with scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef didn’t include a sighting. But in my mind, sea turtles are all large and come in a few different colors. But a year ago, you might remember that a member of a much smaller species, the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, was found incredibly far from home in the Netherlands. And far from home is an understatement, as the Netherlands is about 5,000 miles from its home territory of the Gulf of Mexico. I just learned that this little creature finally went home last month.

BOEIER THE KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE SOMEHOW TRAVELED 5,000 MILES FROM HOME

This sea turtle got named after the boat that found it, Boeier. The Boeier is a commercial fishing vessel and the poor turtle had gotten tangled up in the fishing net. Experts say that the sea turtle must have been caught and carried away by sea currents, which took it all that distance. But I still find that to be incredible, as those currents would have had to carry him around the bottom of all of Florida and then all the way up and across the Atlantic. But it does seem plausible, as the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle as a species aren’t all that large to swim against a current. Adults measure only 27-32 inches, and they weigh only 75-100 pounds.

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BOEIER WAS FLOWN TO TEXAS AND FINALLY RELEASED BACK INTO HIS HOME WATERS

But after he was found last year, Boeier the sea turtle went to the Rotterdam Zoo, where he spent some time being nursed back to full health. And two days before Halloween this year, he flew in a plane to Houston. After medical tests confirming his health and a few days to get used to being back in the region, they released him back into the Gulf of Mexico on November 4^th. It’s a pretty amazing story, though I may be partial as one of my kids watches the Sammy the Sea Turtle movies over and over again.

So why so much trouble to rescue one small turtle? They’ve been endangered since 1970. You can learn more about the interesting Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle here.