Meatloaf, a green sea turtle weighing over 200 pounds, is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach after being rescued earlier this year with a severe flipper injury. The turtle was found entangled in fishing line and rope in the San Gabriel River, which had severely damaged one of her front flippers by cutting off blood circulation and wearing the tissue down to the bone.

Aquarium officials said the rescue and subsequent treatment presented significant challenges due to Meatloaf’s size, making it the largest sea turtle they have treated to date. After being extricated from the entanglement, she required urgent medical intervention, including surgery to preserve the injured flipper. More than three months into her recovery, Meatloaf is showing early signs of improvement, although experts caution that such injuries typically require up to a year for full healing.

“The entangled line severely damaged a front flipper, cutting off blood supply,” said the aquarium’s director of veterinary services, emphasizing the complexity of the surgical and rehabilitative efforts underway to save the limb.

Meatloaf’s case illustrates a wider environmental concern for marine wildlife along Southern California’s coast. Sea turtles are attracted to river habitats like the San Gabriel River due to warmer water temperatures and abundant food, but these waterways also collect urban runoff and debris, increasing the risk of entanglement. Aquarium staff pointed to ongoing problems with trash and plastic pollution in the region, which endangers local sea turtle populations.

The turtle’s rescue was facilitated by volunteers conducting regular field surveys of green sea turtles in the San Gabriel River. Upon spotting Meatloaf trapped in the debris, they promptly contacted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s stranding hotline and maintained observation until professionals could intervene. After assessment, veterinarians determined Meatloaf needed to be transported to the aquarium for more extensive care.

At the Aquarium of the Pacific, Meatloaf now inhabits a 4,000-gallon sea turtle rehabilitation pool that opened in January. This facility is one of only two in Southern California dedicated to rehabilitating sea turtles, the other being SeaWorld San Diego. The pool is accessible to the public, offering an opportunity to observe rehabilitation efforts firsthand and raise awareness about the challenges facing these marine creatures.

Meatloaf follows another green sea turtle named Porkchop, who was also rescued with similar injuries in the same river. Porkchop’s damaged flipper eventually required amputation, but after a year of monitoring and rehabilitation, she was released back into the wild earlier this year.

The aquarium continues to work closely with community science groups and federal agencies in an ongoing effort to protect and preserve sea turtles in the region, highlighting the importance of both wildlife rescue and broader pollution control measures.