Pistachio (shown), an endangered female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, was brought to The Florida Aquarium in 2012, after being injured by a boat strike off the coast of Cedar Key.
The turtle was rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and was transported to the aquarium’s rescue and rehabilitation program. Pistachio arrived with wounds to her skull and the front of her carpace (top shell), and as a result, she is partially blind in her left eye, has some partial rear flipper paralysis, and has experienced conformational changes to her shell. Pistachio’s injuries also left her with eating difficulties.
After years of care by the aquarium’s animal care and health experts, Pistachio is now swimming in her new home at the Chicago Zoological Society’s Brookfield Zoo.
Turtles Fly Too is a national nonprofit organization that engages general aviation pilots who donate their expertise, aircraft, fuel and labor in support of endangered species rescue efforts.
Turtle flier team member pilot Brenda Tibbs navigated the special mission of flying Pistachio from Tampa International Airport to Midway Airport in Chicago, on Sept. 9.
