Turtle returning to ocean after recovering from spear attack

A federally protected green sea turtle is being released in the Florida Keys after recovering from a spear shot into its neck. The 150-pound (68-kilogram) female, dubbed “Splinter,” will be returned to the Atlantic Ocean Friday morning at Higgs Beach in Key West.

The turtle was rescued off Key Largo Sept. 7 entangled in a commercial fishing trapline. The reptile was transported to the Middle Keys-based Turtle Hospital in Marathon, where a veterinarian surgically removed the 3-foot-long (1-meter-long) spear.

Hospital personnel also provided additional treatment, which included wound care, broad-spectrum antibiotics and a diet of natural seagrass, green vegetables, and seafood.

Several Florida Keys businesses have joined with the hospital to pledge a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever speared the turtle.