Photo: Mote Marine Laboratory

In 2008, a young Kemp’s ridley sea turtle washed up, stranded, in the Netherlands.  Kemp’s ridleys are the smallest and rarest of all sea turtles and are a critically endangered species.  The Kemp’s ridley turtles typically live in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the southern East Coast of the United States.  On rare occasion, young turtles are swept across the Atlantic on the Gulf Stream.  This turtle was taken to the Rotterdam zoo where its condition was stabilized and was given the nickname “Johnny.” The following summer it was sent to the aquarium Oceanário de Lisboa in Portugal, and then to Zoomarine for rehabilitation. While in Portugal, it was also given the moniker “Vasco da Gama,” in honor of the well traveled Portuguese explorer.

“Johnny Vasco da Gama” recently crossed the Atlantic for a second time – this time on a TAP airliner. He was taken to the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota on Nov. 29 to complete his rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and to be outfitted with a satellite tracking device. This morning, Johnny Vasco da Gama was released back into the Gulf of Mexico. “The most exciting part of Johnny’s journey is yet to come,” said Sheryan Epperly, sea turtle program leader from the Southeast Fisheries Science Center of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

Turtle stranded in Europe in 2008 to be released by Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota