Turtle Upon Arrival at Mote

4/16 On Thursday, Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stranding network personnel received the call about a stranded loggerhead turtle in Naples. They responded and found that the animal had been tagged by Mote staff in 2003. Review of Mote's records indicated that the turtle was initially tagged in 1988 — meaning that Mote had records going back more than 20 years of this turtle nesting on Casey Key! FWC staff transported the turtle to Mote where a medical checkup showed that she was emaciated, anemic and likely suffering from lethargic loggerhead syndrome. The turtle was nicknamed "Vicki Lee" in honor of the Mote staff member, Vicki Wiese, who first tagged her in 1988. (Read more about this neat story.) 4/20 The turtle has been placed in a medical pool with a low water level and is eating small feeds. She has been fairly active.  9/2 Vicki Lee is due for a medical checkup on Friday and if all blood counts are within normal range, she will be released! We hope to release her later in September from a Sarasota beach after she is tagged with a satellite transmitter. 9/25 With a cheer from more than 50 dedicated volunteers, Vicki Lee was released to the Gulf of Mexico! Before release, she was outfitted with a satellite tag that will allow Dr. Tony Tucker to follow her progress in the water. The public can also follow her travels at www.seaturtle.org.