Imagine being 240 pounds, roughly the width of a manhole cover, and tangled in some rogue fishing line. That's the less-than-glamorous start to Meatloaf's story. This massive green sea turtle, one of the largest the Aquarium of the Pacific has ever cared for, is currently recovering in Long Beach, California, and her front flipper is in a bit of a pickle.
Meatloaf was spotted back in January by eagle-eyed volunteers from the aquarium's Sea Turtle Monitoring Project in the San Gabriel River. She was a tangled mess of fishing line and rope, a classic case of what marine conservationists grimly call "ghost gear." This abandoned fishing equipment isn't just an eyesore; it's a silent, deadly trap that can drag marine life down to a watery grave.
The Ghost Gear Gauntlet
Meatloaf's predicament is, unfortunately, not unique. Just earlier this year, a lifeguard in Florida pulled a Kemp's ridley sea turtle (one of the rarest on Earth) from the water with a fishing hook in its throat. And 2025 saw eight seals in Rhode Island freed from similar net-based nightmares. Meatloaf, despite her serious injuries, was lucky someone found her.
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Start Your News DetoxDr. Lance Adams, the aquarium's Director of Veterinary Services, explained that the fishing line had essentially cut off the blood supply to her front flipper. They've already performed surgery, and there are promising signs of healing, which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying given the circumstances. The team plans to keep her for at least six more months, redressing wounds and tackling the fluid buildup that's currently making her flipper twice its normal size.
To cover the ongoing surgeries and care for this hefty patient, the Aquarium of the Pacific is trying to raise $50,000. Because apparently, that's what it costs to save a magnificent, manhole-cover-sized turtle from a rogue fishing line. They're one of only two facilities in Southern California equipped for such specialized sea turtle rehab.
And for a dose of grounded optimism, there's Porkchop. Another green sea turtle, Porkchop, who only had three flippers, was the first patient in their new rehab area and was released back into the wild in February. Last they checked, Porkchop was out there, living her best life with other sea turtles. Here's hoping Meatloaf gets a similar happy ending, albeit with all four flippers intact.
