Pregnant sea turtle returns to the ocean off Florida after treatment for a boat strike
Pennywise, an adult female sea turtle weighing 302 pounds, was cleared for release into the wild after she received treatment from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center's veterinary team in Palm Beach County, Florida.
The endangered sea turtle has been laid up and recovering since May, according to the Associated Press.
It took six volunteers to get Pennywise back to the beach and dozens of others to show up and record the moment the reptile was set loose.
The volunteers gently set Pennywise down and let the big lady crawl her way along the sand and back into the surf. The onlookers cheered when the turtle disappeared beneath the waves.
The Inwater Research Group reportedly found Pennywise and rescued her from the beach before handing her off to the vet center for treatment, according to Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
Marika Weber, a veterinary technician at Loggerhead Marinelife Center told the AP that boat strikes on sea turtles usually leave the reptiles dead, so Pennywise was fortunate to not only survive the incident, but to then be found and receive treatment.
'Sea turtle interactions with boats are fatal. So seeing Pennywise survive her injuries and being able to make it to our center was very, very special,' she said. 'It was something that we could fix, heal her up and get her back out into the ocean.'
Treating Pennywise wasn't without some difficulty, considering her size. The team at the vet center had to transport the turtle to a horse clinic — the Palm Beach Equine Center — to perform diagnostic imaging on her due to her size.
During her imaging, the team learned that Pennywise was pregnant.
Sea turtle nesting season is in full swing, and thanks to the care she's received, Pennywise will have the chance to lay her eggs while she's at full health.
'It was a really exciting day,' Weber said. 'We had the community — our whole team here at the hospital, all the departments out there — to wish her well.'
The vet center is asking boaters off the coast of Florida to remember that sea turtle nesting season is between March 1 and October 31, and asks boaters to slow down and watch for turtles heading for the beach.
All sea turtles are considered endangered or threatened and are protected under federal law.
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The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Broken altimeter, ignored warnings: Hearings reveal what went wrong in DC crash that killed 67
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Army Chief Warrant Officer Kylene Lewis told the board that an 80- to 100-foot (24- to 30-meter) discrepancy between the different altimeters on a helicopter would not be alarming, because at lower altitudes she would be relying more on the radar altimeter than the barometric altimeter. Plus Army pilots strive to stay within 100 feet (30 meters) of target altitude on flights, so they could still do that even with their altimeters that far off. But Rick Dressler of medevac operator Metro Aviation told the NTSB that imprecision would not fly with his helicopters. When a helicopter route like the one the Black Hawk was flying that night includes an altitude limit, Dressler said, his pilots consider that a hard ceiling. FAA and Army defend actions, shift blame Both tried to deflect responsibility for the crash, but the testimony highlighted plenty of things that might have been done differently. 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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
The 5 signs your marriage is failing – and how to save it, from a top divorce lawyer
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Here, James shares his biggest predictors that your marriage will fail, and tells you exactly what to do to save it. You've stopped noticing your partner 6 "If I could give one piece of advice to anyone in relationships, it would be two words: pay attention," says James. "It's so easy to stop seeing your partner because they're there all the time, and to stop hearing them because they're always talking around you." When we stop noticing our partners, we don't show them they're appreciated. "Feeling love towards someone is great, but acting towards that person with love is important." Relationship expert shares three tell-tale signs your relationship is falling apart James uses the example of a client who realised her relationship was over when her husband stopped buying her favourite granola, which was only available in one shop. "Every time I ran out, there would just be a new bag," James' client told him, explaining that she felt loved every time she saw it. "Then, one day, the granola ran out. He didn't replace it." How to fix it: Only you know – or should do – the small things your partner loves. Keep doing them to show your other half you always remember them. For James, that means sprinkling cinnamon on his partner's morning coffee. For her, it means sharing a picture with James whenever she lands at the airport after a trip. It could be leaving a thoughtful note in the morning before leaving for work. "This tells someone: 'I still like you, I'm thinking of you.' It's such a low-percentage investment," says James. Plus, it often leads to reciprocity. Criticism is a reflex 6 Criticism makes your partner clam up and get defensive. It can cause any problem to snowball – and that includes constructive criticism. James says: "I'm not saying that when our partner is doing something we think should be changed for their good, or for the good of the relationship, that we shouldn't do something about it." However, being able to see your partner as your own personal cheerleader and a safe space from the daily criticisms of the workplace or general hardship, is how relationships thrive. How to fix it: "Raise the positive," says James. "Try to shift your partner's behaviour or perspective in a way that doesn't feel like criticism." That means reinforcing positive behaviour through compliments, rather than focusing on the negative behaviour you want to see altered. James gives the example that if you prefer your partner freshly shaven, rather than endlessly telling them how much you hate their stubble, wait until they have just shaved and pile on the compliments, avoiding criticism and creating a sense of closeness. You've lost yourself 6 Something James always hears people say when they're getting divorced is: "I lost myself in this relationship, I don't remember who I am any more." 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How to fix it: You can make working on your relationship a conscious practice by checking in with one another on a regular basis, and being curious about what role you can play in improving your relationship. James suggests going on a "walk and talk" regularly with your partner, where you can share things that made you feel loved that week and any issues that arose. "It's kind of a praise sandwich, with some good alongside things to work on," he says.
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Construction worker buried alive on site
By Published: Updated: An Arizona construction worker died on the job after being trapped beneath six feet of collapsing earth. Ronald Andrew Baquera Jr., or 'Ronnie,' 44, was working at a site in Goodyear on Monday when a trench suddenly collapsed. He was left trapped beneath six to seven feet of fast-moving dirt, according to AZ Central. Emergency crews arrived at the construction site at around 1pm within six minutes of receiving a call about a man trapped in a ditch. When the Goodyear Fire Department arrived, they found coworkers urgently struggling to free Baquera, who was buried beneath a massive, crushing weight of dirt. Rescue crews quickly recognized that the massive load of dirt above Baquera was creating dangerously unstable conditions within the trench. Because of sensitive infrastructure on site - including gas lines - crews were forced to slow their rescue efforts and use specialized equipment. At approximately 2am on July 29 - more than 12 hours after Baquera became trapped - crews successfully recovered his body from the trench. Fred Gonzalez was working in a trench with his 18-year-old son just feet from the one that collapsed only days earlier. Baquera leaves behind two sons and a daughter. Nate Costly, a childhood friend, organized a vigil on Friday. 'Ronnie was a loving father and a loyal friend - brutally honest, endlessly caring, and unforgettable,' Costly wrote in a heartfelt tribute to Facebook. 'He will be deeply missed.' Just hours before the vigil, construction crews were still active at the site, smoothing freshly poured sidewalks, while a bulldozer rested on a patch of dirt only feet from newly planted grass. Shatera Williams, who had known Baquera since she was 10, honored his life by singing a soulful gospel song, as reported by AZ Central. Echoing the sentiments of many, Williams described Baquera as a 'fixer' - someone who would 'fix things with laughter or his hands'. On the same day as the tragedy, the Industrial Commission of Arizona - along with partner agencies - launched an investigation into whether there were safety violations at the site, according to ABC 15. Charles Carpenter, a spokesman for the state's workplace safety agency, emphasized that investigation results typically take four to five months to be finalized. A GoFundMe page has been created to support the family with funeral and memorial expenses during this difficult time. 'Ronnie Baquera was a fun-loving, hard-working man who would do anything to help those around him,' the description reads. 'His warm heart, generous spirit, and unwavering dedication to his family and friends touched everyone who knew him.' By Saturday afternoon, the fundraiser had already raised $25,175 toward its $30,000 goal.
