Tybee Island

Ossie, a loggerhead sea turtle, has been released back into the Atlantic off Tybee Island, Georgia, after three years of rehabilitation care. The release marks the end of a long recovery for the turtle, which had been unable to return to the wild until now. Rescue and aquarium teams typically nurse injured or sick sea turtles for months or years before deeming them strong enough to survive on their own.

Ossie, a sea turtle long cared for at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center in Georgia, has been released to live in the wild. The release marks the end of the animal's rehabilitation at the coastal facility, which rescues and cares for stranded sea turtles before returning healthy animals to the ocean.