The South Carolina Aquarium has rescued, rehabilitated, and released 480 sea turtles to date, with three more currently undergoing rehabilitation.

The three rescued green sea turtles—Camellia, Daisy, and Daffodil—were treated along the South Carolina coast for conditions like cold-stunning, pneumonia, shell damage, eye ulcers, fungal infections, and osteomyelitis, undergoing a lengthy care regime that included antibiotics, fluids, vitamins, nebulization, and surgery where needed.

On March 3, 2026, Camellia, Daisy, and Daffodil were released back into the ocean, marking the aquarium’s first sea turtle release of the year.

Camellia was rescued from Folly Beach on December 10, 2025 after cold-stunning and heavy barnacle and sand buildup, later receiving antibiotics, fluids, vitamins, and gradual warming before release.

Daisy was rescued from North Myrtle Beach on April 3, 2025 with severe debilitation, heavy barnacle growth, eye ulcer, fungal pneumonia, osteomyelitis, and underwent long-term antibiotics, antifungals, nebulization, specialized nutrition, and eventually bone removal surgery before release.

Daffodil was rescued from Wadmalaw Island on November 25, 2025 facing lethargy, low calcium, and digestion problems, and progressed through the multi-month rehabilitation to release.

The turtles’ recovery illustrates the long, multi-month process required for green sea turtles to regain health and reach release readiness, underscoring the species’ longevity and late breeding age.

Individual turtles play a critical role in population recovery, as greens can live over 70 years and may not breed until decades into adulthood.

The releases come as part of a broader conservation context, with green sea turtles recently reclassified from endangered to threatened in the United States, reflecting ongoing recovery efforts.

The aquarium notes that the successful releases, including moving turtles to warmer Florida waters for release, highlight continued conservation work alongside the reclassification of the species.

Note: The article contains unrelated local news blurbs and promotional content that should be ignored for a focused turtle-focused summary.