In January, a dog-walker found a loggerhead sea turtle "lifeless" on a Jersey beach. An extratropical cyclone had swept her ashore. The turtle was malnourished and cold-stunned, a condition like hypothermia that can shut down an animal's body.
She first received treatment at New Era Veterinary Hospital in Jersey. Clinic director Peter Hawarth even took her home for two weeks. But it became clear she needed more specialized care. Hawarth then flew the turtle to Southampton.
Crush's Journey to Recovery
The care team named her Crush, after the sea turtle in "Finding Nemo." Researchers called her "she" because of her longer tail, a trait often seen in female turtles.
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Start Your News DetoxIn February, Crush flew to the Sea Life Weymouth center in the United Kingdom. She joined other rescued sea turtles there. She spent six months in rehabilitation, and her caretakers grew very fond of her.
After more than 200 days, Crush was ready to go home. The turtles flew 1,500 miles in special boxes. They had a short quarantine on Faial Island's Aquario do Porto Pim.
A Bittersweet Farewell
On September 1, Crush was released into warmer waters off the Azores, islands near Portugal. She was released with two other loggerheads, Eden and Tiree. They were rescued off Scotland's west coast in 2025.
Joe Williams, curator at Sea Life Brighton, said the release went "as well as we could have ever dreamed of." He noted there were "a lot of anxious moments and a lot of adrenaline."
"All three of them have gone back out into the blue," Williams said.
Victoria Goodier, Crush's primary carer, told BBC Radio the release was perfect. "Crush and her friends all swam beautifully off into the ocean," she said.
Crush has a satellite tag, which will allow researchers to track her for a few months.
However, the tag will eventually stop working. "Once the tag comes off or stops sending us information, that will be it — we won’t ever see her again," Goodier explained.
Deva Edge of Sea Life Brighton called it "one of the best moments" of her life. "We were all bawling on the boat afterwards. It’s very bittersweet," she said. "You definitely form very strong attachments, but it’s the best goodbye possible."
