A huge crowd showed up Wednesday to watch the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab release Hope the Sea Turtle into the Gulf of Mexico this afternoon

A huge crowd showed up Wednesday to watch the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab release Hope the Sea Turtle into the Gulf of Mexico this afternoon.

Hope was brought to the Marine Lab last October during a red tide event that affected much of Franklin County's waters.

The150-pound loggerhead sea turtle found it hard to breathe, impossible to swim, and became paralyzed by red tide neurotoxins before washing ashore on St. George Island. .

She was found by beachgoers who alerted the Franklin County Sheriff's department.

Hope was then loaded on to a truck and taken to the Marine Lab for rehabilitation.

She responded well to her treatments and was deemed fit to release.

Nearly 200 people showed up at the public beach on St. George Island to say farewell and good travels.

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