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By CARLOS MONCADA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 18, 2007

CLEARWATER BEACH - Surrounded by dozens of beachgoers, a 120-pound loggerhead sea turtle nicknamed Charlie Brown returned to the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday after a trip in the back of a pickup from Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

The turtle, whose age and sex were not known, was found emaciated four months ago near Dunedin's Honeymoon Island. It also had a serious infection.

Thanks to antibiotics and round-the-clock care by aquarium staff, the turtle was nursed back to health so it could be returned to the wild.

'It's kind of a bittersweet day,' said David Yates, chief executive officer of the aquarium. 'We like releasing turtles back into the wild, but also our staff of volunteers gets attached to the turtles we have. But this is what we're about.'

The sub-adult turtle, whose shell measured about 31 inches long, showed no hesitation as it crawled toward the surf immediately after volunteers carried it off the truck and placed it on the beach.

Many people took a break from strolling or lounging and lined up on either side of the turtle as it used its powerful front flippers to move along the sand. TV camera crews and photographers closely followed the tagged animal as it made its way to freedom.

In less than a minute, 'C.B.' disappeared into the Gulf, to the applause of the camera-wielding crowd.

Peter Hallam, visiting from England with his wife, Sandra, captured the moment on a video camera.

'Awesome,' he said. 'We don't get to see this in England.'

Every year, the aquarium rehabilitates and releases 25 to 50 sea turtles rescued in Florida and southern Georgia, Yates said.

The turtles are released from the same area where they were found.

Loggerheads are listed as a threatened species, one step below endangered. Their numbers have been on the decline for several years.

The aquarium works to halt the population decline through its oversight of the sea turtle nesting program in Pinellas County as well as rehabilitating turtles injured in shark attacks or encounters with fishing lines.

'Our hope is we'll never see her again,' Yates said.

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com.

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