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Rescued Sea Turtles Being Prepared For Release Into Atlantic

QUINCY (CBS) -- Two ailing sea turtles found off of Cape Cod in December were given a clean bill of health Thursday.

turtle-swimming
One of the two loggerhead sea turtles swimming at the aquarium. (Photo credit: WBZ-TV)

The loggerhead turtles, named Lightning Bolt and Sunny, were in bad shape, dehydrated with pneumonia and hypothermia.

Biologist Julika Wocial oversaw the rescue operation and she gave the turtles their physical exam. She says the New England Aquarium Sea Turtle hospital wanted to make sure the turtles had recovered.

"We want to make sure they're as good and as healthy as they can be before we release them back to the ocean," Wocial said.

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Sea Turtle being given a "phyiscal." (Photo credit: WBZ-TV)

She says the checkup was thorough.

"It's like when you go to the doctor and they pretty much look at all the parts of your body and make sure everything is okay," Wocial said. "That's what we do to make sure nothing new develops while they're here in rehabilitation."

The turtles are being fitted with transmitters so their progress can be tracked.

The release back into the Atlantic should be in the next couple of weeks.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports

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