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Turtle passes 100 pieces of plastic while recovering from surgery

Posted at 8:58 AM, Feb 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-12 08:58:50-05

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A sea turtle recovering from hook surgery passed more than 100 pieces of plastic over a week.

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center says the plastic objects included bottle caps, pieces of cutlery, garbage & zip-lock bags, and large plastic shards. They believe the turtle was likely foraging in open water where floating trash is "sadly becoming the norm."

The turtle, named Zatanna, has since had special supplements to her diet to aid in gut mobility while she continues to recover.

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The nature center says she won't be released until they're sure she's done passing the objects.

According to the center, if our oceans continue to be littered with plastic by 2050 "there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish."