STPS Success Stories of 2025

Watching a sea turtle return to the ocean is an exciting and rewarding moment for everyone involved in its rescue, transport, and medical care. Let’s take a quick look at some of the turtles that STPS volunteers rescued and were subsequently rehabbed and released in 2025.

Watermelon and Spooky

Stranding & Salvage Volunteer Jerry Lemon rescued Watermelon on August 3, 2024. The juvenile green was found floating in the Indian River Lagoon in Cape Canaveral. It was entangled in fishing line and had a fibropapilloma (FP) tumor on one flipper. Jerry transported it to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center for medical treatment and rehabilitation. See photos of Watermelon’s release in January 2025 at Nance Park in Indialantic below.

On October 9, 2024, juvenile green Spooky washed ashore at Pineda Beach Park near Patrick Space Force Base. It was lethargic and had FP tumors. Jerry Lemon rescued the young green and transported it to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center. See photos of Spooky’s release below.

See more pictures of this release on STPS Facebook: Watermelon and Spooky Release.

Dude

Volunteer Danette Kane assisted with the rescue of this young green sea turtle in early February 2025 at Jetty Park in Port Canaveral. It was transported to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center for rehab, and just a few days later, was released at Lori Wilson Park on February 7^th. See pictures of Dude’s release below plus more on STPS Facebook.

Mischief

On October 29, 2023, STPS Stranding & Salvage Permit Holder Cyndi Stinson and her family rescued a large loggerhead that was entangled in a crab pot line in the Indian River (see top row of photos below). After returning to shore, they met Stranding and Transport volunteer Carrie Hinojosa who drove the sea turtle to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center where it was named Mischief. Unfortunately, the loggerhead lost its front flipper and had a very long recovery. More than a year after its rescue, Mischief was finally released in February 2025 at Paradise Beach in Melbourne (see bottom row below).

Cupcake

This young green sea turtle was stranded on Cocoa Beach where Linda Rutland rescued it on December 16, 2024. The juvenile was transported to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center for treatment and was subsequently named Cupcake. Just a few months later in March 2025, little Cupcake was released back to her ocean home (see photos below).

Nemo

Stranding & Salvage Permit Holder Cyndi Stinson rescued this barnacle-covered juvenile green on January 31, 2025 at about 11 PM in front of the Double Tree hotel on Melbourne Beach (see left photo below). She transported it to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center for treatment and rehabilitation and the zoo’s staff named it Nemo. On June 12, 2025, Nemo was ready to go home and was released at Pelican Beach Park in Satellite Beach (see right photo below). You can also watch the zoo’s video of the release “Just Keep Swimming Nemo!”

June Cleaver

This 230+ pound female loggerhead was rescued on June 27, 2025 at Melbourne Beach by Stranding Volunteer Joel Cohen and Stranding & Salvage Permit Holder Cyndi Stinson (see photos below). Joel transported the large loggerhead to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center where she was named June Cleaver. While at the center, she laid more than 100 eggs which biologists buried at the beach to incubate. After just a few months of rehab, June was released at Paradise Beach on September 3, 2025. See a photo of her release below and watch the zoo’s video of the release on STPS Facebook: “Leave It to June Cleaver.”

Santa

Stranding Volunteer Danette Kane rescued this juvenile green at Bluepoints Marina in Port Canaveral on December 13, 2024. Unfortunately, the little green had been hit by a boat (see left photo below). Danette transported the green to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center where it was named Santa. A little over nine months later, Santa was released at Pelican Beach on September 22, 2025 (see photos below).

Bugs

Stranding Volunteer Linda Rutland rescued this young green which was stranded on Satellite Beach on April 30, 2025. It was extremely lethargic and covered with barnacles. Linda transported the juvenile to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center where the staff named it Bugs. After a few months of rehab, Bugs was released on October 1, 2025 in front of a large crowd at Pelican Beach. See pictures below and more photos of the release on STPS Facebook: Bugs Goes Home.

Jellyfish

This juvenile green was rescued by Stranding Volunteer Carrie Hinojosa at Patrick Space Force Base on July 15, 2025. Carrie transported it to the Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center for treatment and while there, it was named Jellyfish by the staff. Just three months later, Jellyfish was released at Pelican Beach on October 16, 2025 along with another juvenile green. See photos below and on STPS Facebook: Release of Jellyfish.

Volunteers Recover Over 500 Wash-backs During October STERP Event

After strong winds and waves pushed large mats of Sargassum onshore, STPS STERP volunteers searched Brevard’s beaches for sea turtle hatchlings and post-hatchlings that had gotten entangled in the seaweed. As the wash-backs were found, our Transport volunteers took them to Brevard Zoo’s Sea Turtle Healing Center for rehabilitation. During the event from October 5^th to the 11^th, volunteers recovered over 500 wash-backs (some shown below). For more photos and information, see the STPS blog: “Volunteers Rescue 528 Baby Sea Turtles During STERP Event.”

Once they were ready for release, Transport Volunteers Charlotte and Dennis Lawyer drove hundreds of the wash-backs from the Sea Turtle Healing Center to Sea Turtle Care & Conservation Specialists (STCCS) in Palm Beach County. After the baby sea turtles rested, STCCS took them by boat out to their Sargassum habitat in the Atlantic Ocean and released them. See more photos and information in these two STPS blogs: October 9^th Transport and October 31^st Transport.

What To Do If You Find a Stranded Sea Turtle

Remember, if you find a sick, injured or deceased sea turtle, please call the STPS Emergency Hotline at 321-206-0646 if within Brevard County; all other counties, please call Florida FWC at 1-888-404-3922.