Seal Beach crowd witnesses rescued turtle return to sea

A green sea turtle found tangled in fishing line in the San Gabriel River was released back into the ocean Friday in Seal Beach after a three-month recovery at Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific.

- BY KATERINA PORTELA

VOLUNTEERS release a green sea turtle found tangled in fishing line into the ocean in Long Beach on Friday.

During a routine check in the San Gabriel River in early July, the female turtle was discovered by workers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The workers found fishing line wrapped around her front flippers and cutting into her mouth.

The 132-pound turtle was taken into Long Beach's Aquarium of the Pacific, where veterinarians removed the fishing line and sewed the wounds.

After three months of recovery, the green sea turtle returned to the wild Friday.

The morning of her release, a crowd of about 30 people gathered in the mid-morning sun at Seal Beach.