Pregnant sea turtle returns to the ocean after months of rehab

<i>WPBF via CNN Newsource</i><br/>Pennywise is a 300-pound adult loggerhead sea turtle and arrived at Loggerhead Marinelife Center on May 18. She was found stranded and floating off the coast of Port St. Lucie by Inwater Research Group. Pennywise suffered significant blunt force trauma to her shell from a boat strike. The staff and volunteers at Loggerhead Marinelife Center were shocked to find out that Pennywise is pregnant and carrying eggs.

By CNN Newsource

Published July 31, 2025 10:30 AM

By Brooke Silverang

JUNO BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — One of Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s most popular patients finally made it back home into the ocean.

Thousands gathered Wednesday morning in the heat on Juno Beach to watch the release of the loggerhead that was holding a very special secret.

Pennywise is a 300-pound adult loggerhead sea turtle and arrived at Loggerhead Marinelife Center on May 18. She was found stranded and floating off the coast of Port St. Lucie by Inwater Research Group. Pennywise suffered significant blunt force trauma to her shell from a boat strike. The staff and volunteers at Loggerhead Marinelife Center were shocked to find out that Pennywise is pregnant and carrying eggs.

Audrey Padgett, the vice president of marketing and public relations at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, said, “We’re so excited to get her released back out into the ocean so she has an opportunity to lay her eggs and nest somewhere on our beautiful beaches. She’s a perfect example of what we do at Loggerhead Marinelife Center, where we rehabilitate endangered turtles.”

Sea turtles return to the same beach where they hatched to lay their own eggs.

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