Bon voyage, Chipi!

Chipi the loggerhead sea turtle said goodbye to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and hello to the Gulf of Mexico last week. 

After stranding in October 2019 in Charlotte Country, Chipi was taken to Mote for  treatment of lethargy and neurologic issues  most likely caused by exposure to red tide, a Mote news release said. Chipi was released after 149 days.

Though Mote is temporarily closed to the public amid COVID-19, its Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and many other programs are still functioning.