Popular Sea Turtle 'Lucky Duck' among 13 Sea Turtles Successfully Released by N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island since May 2025

The summer of 2025 was a busy season for sea turtle releases at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island. From May to August the Aquarium successfully released 13 rehabilitated sea turtles. This month, the Aquarium welcomed its newest sea turtle patient, nicknamed "Pisces." The Aquarium is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Among the patients this summer, the most notable were two green sea turtles, nicknamed "Atlas" and "Lucky Duck." Atlas was released after receiving seven months of treatment for severe frostbite, marking the end of a record-breaking cold-stun season on the Outer Banks. Lucky Duck made headlines over the summer for an x-ray of ingested micro-plastics and for suffering wounds from an apparent shark attack. After successful treatment to become healthy and stable, all 13 sea turtles were successfully released, many into Croatan Sound from the Aquarium's Soundside Pier. Enthusiastic staff, volunteers, and visitors cheered and celebrated the sea turtles' rehabilitation journeys and return to the wild. In cheerful moments after the releases, the sea turtles would briefly return to the water's surface, before swimming off for good.

The 13 released green sea turtles were nicknamed: Atlas, Big Top, Cheesecake, Cotton Candy, Forrest, Fried Pickle, Hot Tamale, Lucky Duck, Maple, Pirate Ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, Spar, and Teacup.

Responding to the successful rehabilitation and release of the sea turtles, Leslie Vegas, husbandry curator at the Aquarium said, "Seeing these animals at their worst to playing a part in their success story reminds us how precious and valuable they are to not only the animal care team, but to many others. It is a thrill and an honor to care for these animals, and we look forward to helping them well into the future."

When found in distress in their natural environment, sea turtles are often brought to the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (S.T.A.R.) Center by the National Park Service - Cape Hatteras National Seashore or the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.). Founded at the Aquarium in 2014, the S.T.A.R. Center, a sea turtle hospital, provides year-round rehabilitation to sea turtles, mostly greens, loggerheads, and Kemps ridleys. In recent years, sea turtle patients have been treated at the Aquarium for assorted problems, including cold-stunning, eye injuries, kidney failure, pneumonia, frostbite, infections, and injuries from boat strikes and ingested fishing hooks.

Due to the desire to quickly return sea turtles to their natural environment after being cleared for release from the S.T.A.R. Center, sea turtle releases at the Aquarium are rarely announced in advance. When sea turtle patients are cleared by Aquarium veterinarians after receiving successful treatment, the Aquarium releases recovered sea turtles back into their natural environment as quickly as possible. Sea turtles have been released by the Aquarium oceanside, offshore into the warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and into the Croatan Sound-the Aquarium's aquatic backyard. During the warmer summer months, the Croatan Sound is a fitting release location. In the warm, shallow sound waters the green sea turtles will feast on shrimp, jellies, fish, and sea grasses before navigating their own way back to the Atlantic Ocean.

The newest sea turtle patient at the Aquarium is a spirited green sea turtle nicknamed "Pisces." Transferred earlier this month from the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, Pisces was previously treated and released by the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center for cold stunning. More recently, Pisces was discovered with severe injuries from being tangled in a fishing net. After successful flipper amputation, Pisces is thriving and diving. When cleared for release by veterinarians with the N.C. Aquariums, Pisces will be released again. Until then, the public is invited to visit to the S.T.A.R. Center to see this charismatic survivor. Among sea turtle hospitals in the United States, the S.T.A.R. Center at the Aquarium is one of the very few sea turtle rehabilitation facilities specially designed for public viewing and interaction with sea turtle aquarists. Dedicated in 1976, the Aquarium is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026.

Sea turtles in North Carolina are protected by the Endangered Species Act and managed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island operates under NCWRC Sea Turtle Permit #25ST46.

About the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
Located on the Outer Banks in Manteo, N.C., the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island is part of N.C. Aquariums, which includes four attractions along North Carolina's coast and is a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The 63,000 square-foot facility on 16 acres overlooks the Croatan Sound and houses over 2,200 animals. Over 315,000 guests visit the Aquarium each year to see the 285,000-gallon "Graveyard of the Atlantic" shark and ocean habitat, visit the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (S.T.A.R.) Center, and learn why North Carolina's waterways are so special. As an educational attraction, the mission of N.C. Aquariums is to inspire appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments. The Aquarium is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. For more information, visit https://www.ncaquariums.com/roanoke-island.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina - its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit https://www.dncr.nc.gov.

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