Injured Loggerhead Turtle Makes Triumphant Return to Wild

Rescuers braved a feisty 322-pound patient to help the endangered reptile.

When diver and underwater photographer Mike Papish noticed **Lenny**—a massive loggerhead sea turtle—struggling with a wounded flipper and head injuries, he knew immediate action was required. The rescue of this giant turtle, reminiscent in size to a grand piano, would prove to be quite an ordeal.

Shark Attack Leads to Dramatic Rescue

“It was most certainly from a shark attack,” Papish remarked, describing the origin of **Lenny’s** injuries. Transporting such a large wild animal required considerable effort.

Together, Papish and a team of divers from Sundance Watersports managed to get the massive loggerhead aboard their boat. According to NOAA Fisheries, loggerhead populations face threats such as habitat degradation and fishing gear entanglements.

According to Papish, keeping **Lenny** secure during the trip back to shore was challenging. “Once we got him fully on board, it wasn’t even over,” he said.

They had to use ice chests as barricades, but “even those he was able to just swat out of the way, so it took all four of us sitting on giant chests of ice barricaded around **Lenny** to get him back to shore.”

Rehabilitation and Release

**Lenny** was transported to The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida, where he received comprehensive care, including fluids, antibiotics, and laser therapy for his wounds.

Bette Zirkelbach, manager of The Turtle Hospital, described **Lenny’s** arrival as extraordinary: “He was the largest loggerhead that I’ve ever seen.” Since its founding in 1984, the nonprofit has aided over 3,000 sea turtles.

Return to the Ocean

After just a couple weeks of treatment, **Lenny** was ready to return to his natural habitat. “It was critical to get **Lenny** back out there because it was mating season in the Florida Keys,” Zirkelbach explained, highlighting the importance of the 60-70 year old turtle’s reproductive role.

“Sea turtles are a vital part of the ecosystem,” Papish emphasized, noting their role in maintaining healthy seagrass beds that support coral reef ecosystems. In late March, **Lenny** was released back into the waters where he was found.

“It’s the best feeling,” Zirkelbach said about seeing **Lenny’s** successful return. Papish has seen **Lenny** several times since his release, most recently in early June.

According to Papish, “He’s doing better every time I see him. He’s got more strength in his injured flipper, and his swimming is stronger. When he goes up to get air, he gets it with more confidence. He doesn’t struggle like the day we released him.”

Papish finds **Lenny’s** personality both curious and playful: “Every time I see him, he comes in and does a lap right under the boat so all the snorkelers can see him, and then he goes back to deeper waters.”