The story of “Nickel”, the Green Sea Turtle

In 1998, a green sea turtle was found floating at the mouth of Fish Hawk Creek in Goodland, FL. Having suffered an injury to the rear of her shell from a boat strike, she was extremely thin and had difficulty swimming. After months of rehabilitation at Clearwater Marine Aquarium, she was restored to health, but with weak rear flippers and permanent buoyancy problems. The extent of the sea turtles injuries meant she could never be released back into the wild.

Upon arriving at Shedd Aquarium, the turtle underwent an extensive physical exam. An X-ray image revealed a coin lodged in her esophagus, a 1975 nickel. The obstruction was immediately removed, and she is now known as “Nickel”.

Debris in the water and boats are just a few of the hazards that sea turtles like Nickel face. She is very fortunate, as Shedd is one of only a few public aquariums to display a rehabilitated sea turtle.

Nickel was placed in the Shedd’s Caribbean Reef habitat in 2004 and is now approximately 7-8 years old, which is young for a green sea turtle.

Stop by to visit Nickel during your next visit to Chicago!