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In 2025, marine biologist Tabitha Siegfried of the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center spotted a sea turtle that was struggling to swim in the Gulf of Mexico.
Without hesitation, she jumped into the water and brought the female loggerhead ashore, quickly realizing that it was afflicted with hundreds of barnacles and suffering from a severe case of debilitated turtle syndrome.
“We don't really know the underlying cause of debilitated turtle syndrome,” Siegfried said in an Instagram video. “It could be due to environmental factors or an infection [or] something that she ate. But it is characterized by excessive barnacles, lethargy, and anemia.”
“And usually when turtles are brought into a rehab facility with this disease or syndrome, their odds of survival are less than 25%,” she added soberly.
Five of the world’s seven species of sea turtle are found within the Gulf of Mexico, including the Kemp’s ridley, green turtle, hawksbill, leatherback, and loggerheads like the one Siegfried rescued.
All are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act and face severe threats from fishing bycatch, coastal development destroying nesting habitats, ocean pollution, and vessel strikes — and Siegfried has dedicated her career to saving them.
The turtle, which was named Syrena by the marine rehabilitation team, was in dire straits when she was brought in. And although Siegfried and her peers didn’t know the root cause of Syrena’s pain, they did know how to treat it: Lots of fluids and antibiotics.
“We’re so fortunate it actually pulled through with this condition because we have had a season where we have had 25 or more turtles and only one or two of them have actually survived.”
The turtle also needed a lot of care and patience when it came to removing her many barnacles.
“We have to do this in a slow, methodical way, because it can be very painful to the turtle underneath those barnacles,” Siegfried explained. “Barnacles are a living crustacean, but they can burrow into her shell and cause an infection.”
On July 14 of last year — after three months of recovery and multiple barnacle removals — Syrena was finally nursed back to full health and was ready for release.
“92 days ago, we found her struggling offshore — weak, disoriented, and in critical condition,” Siegfried wrote in an Instagram update. “I didn’t know if she’d make it. But Syrena showed us what resilience looks like.”
Siegfried shared footage of her and a colleague carrying Syrena to the shore so that she could return to the Gulf of Mexico.
“After months of treatments, barnacle removal, antibiotics, and a whole lot of love… she swam back into the Gulf with strength and attitude (as she should),” she said.
Like all turtles that “graduate” from the rehab facility, Syrena was given two metal flipper tags and passive integrated transponders (PIT tags).
That way, if she is ever caught or brought in again, they know exactly who she is and where she came from.
And although Siegfried’s career is built around saving countless turtles like Syrena, she admitted that her release was particularly heartwrenching.
“Every release is emotional — but this one hit different. Because every turtle matters. Every rescue is worth it,” she emphasized. “Swim free, Syrena. You’ll always have a piece of my heart.”
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Header images via Tabby Siegfried | Marine Bio
