Loggerhead sea turtle Pennywise struck by boat and needs urgent care

In March 2025, a loggerhead sea turtle named Pennywise was discovered floating in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. The turtle had sustained significant injuries due to a boat strike, resulting in blunt force trauma to her shell. After being rescued by a team from Inwater Research Group, Pennywise was taken to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, where the veterinary team realized that her size—302 pounds—prevented her from receiving a CT scan using standard equipment. This led them to Jupiter Medical Center, but Pennywise was still too large for their scanning machine. Ultimately, the veterinary team transported her to the Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Wellington, where they used horse-sized imaging equipment to obtain the necessary scans. Interestingly, the scans revealed that Pennywise was carrying eggs, raising hopes for her rehabilitation and eventual release back into the wild. Pennywise’s injuries were assessed to be around a month old at the time of her arrival at the turtle center, indicating she had been suffering before being rescued. The imaging also showed damage to the bones surrounding her spinal cord, and the veterinary staff put her on high-powered antibiotics as a precaution. Fortunately, her neurological examination indicated that her nerves were intact, providing optimism for her recovery. The rehabilitation team was dedicated to monitoring her condition closely and ensuring her wounds healed sufficiently before releasing her back into her natural habitat. The plight of Pennywise exemplifies the dangers that sea turtles face, especially during the nesting and mating season, which typically runs from March to October in Florida. The ongoing threat of human activity, particularly boat traffic, is a significant factor contributing to turtle injuries. Heather Barron, the chief science officer at Loggerhead, emphasized the importance of raising awareness among boaters regarding these preventable injuries by encouraging them to exercise caution while traveling through designated Sea Turtle Protection Zones, which extend one mile offshore. This particular case serves as a call to action for boaters and the general public to support efforts to safeguard endangered species like the loggerhead through responsible behavior in coastal waters. The hope is to return Pennywise to the wild soon, where she can lay her eggs and continue her life cycle as part of this endangered species.