A 75-pound sea turtle was found yesterday morning, March 18, 2023, at the south end of Manzanita Beach. After receiving photographs of the turtle, it became clear that the turtle had been dead for quite some time before washing ashore. The turtle was recovered by the Seaside Aquarium and was later identified as a loggerhead sea turtle.

This ocean turtle had an entire ecosystem traveling with it. When cleaning its shell so a positive identification could be made, live gooseneck barnacles, keɩetoп shrimp, and even nudibranchs were found. While the Oregon coast is no stranger to sea turtles, the species typically found are olive ridley turtles. Loggerheads are fairly rare for this area.

The turtle soon began showing signs of stability, according to the aquarium, swimming, diving and searching for food. About a week after it was discovered on the beach, the turtle had its first meal: a salmon fillet.

The aquarium was not equipped to care for the animal long-term, and since the animal was showing good signs of progress, veterinary staff made arrangements with a nonprofit called Turtles Fly Too to have the creature brought to the San Diego Zoo on Saturday.

“I just received a video from SeaWorld San Diego,” the aquarium’s curator of fish and invertebrates, Evonne Mochon-Collura, said shortly after the turtle’s arrival in California. “The loggerhead is swimming in its large outdoor pool – a successful triage and transport!”

Veterinarians at the zoo will monitor the animal’s recovery with the goal of eventually returning the turtle to the woman.