If you’ve visited Loggerhead Marinelife Center anytime during the last nine months, you have likely seen and heard about our patient Shelly Potter. Shelly is a sub-adult female Loggerhead who came to us for care on June 11, 2024. She was found by Inwater Research Group after a boat strike that required her front left flipper to be amputated. After 286 days in LMC’s care, Shelly Potter was released on March 25, 2025!
Shelly’s left front flipper was amputated and she underwent aftercare until the wound was fully healed. Due to the complicated nature of the amputation, the recovery time was lengthy. After spending this time at LMC, Shelly will always hold a special place in our hearts. We are so excited for her to begin her journey back to sea.
Shelly’s rehabilitation was sponsored by Pacsafe. Pacsafe’s Turtle Fund was launched in 2014 with the aim of supporting the conservation efforts of endangered sea turtles globally by providing annual grants to sea turtle conservation projects. We are thankful for their support!
You can also watch footage of Shelly’s release and learn more about her on our Youtube Channel!
All marine turtle images taken in Florida were obtained with the approval of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under conditions not harmful to this or other turtles. Images were acquired while conducting authorized activities pursuant to FWC MTP-086.