The Camden Aquarium bid a fond farewell to one of their sea turtles, Darwin, who was released back into the wild last month.
Each year, Adventure Aquarium fosters tiny hatchlings from the North Carolina Aquarium and helps to rehabilitate them. During this “sea turtle school,” aquarium staff teach the loggerhead sea turtles how to hunt and behave in the wild, boosting their chances of survival. (It’s estimated only one in 1,000 hatchlings make it to adulthood.)
Darwin, who was palm-sized when he came to the aquarium and is now the size of a dinner plate, was named by guests of the aquarium last year during a naming contest. With Darwin swimming free, a new little loggerhead will be filling his place soon. (So start brainstorming perfect turtle names.)