The Clearwater Marine Aquarium welcomed a new turtle to town.
The aquarium rescued a loggerhead sea turtle a few months ago, and she has now made the facility her permanent home just in time for the holidays.
The small sea turtle is blind and missing parts of her nose and jaw, so she was unable to be released back into the wild.
The young sea turtle was found as a “washback,” a term used to describe a baby sea turtle that washed ashore due to heavy winds and surf.
Snorkel was found with damage to her upper beak and both eyes due to unknown trauma.
She was given the name “Snorkel” because of the various tubes used to allow her to breathe and heal during the rehabilitation process.
She has recovered from the injuries but developed some significant physical abnormalities as healing occurred.
Snorkel is missing both nasal openings, the upper jaw, and is blind, but is just as adorable as all the other sea critters at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
