In Brazil, a turtle named Jorge swam back home after several decades in captivity at an aquarium in Argentina.
A unique case for scientific research.After spending more than half his life in captivity in the Argentine mountains, Jorge, a 60-year-old sea turtle, is now swimming his way back home along the northern coast of Brazil. Released on April 11, 2025, he has already covered nearly 2,700 kilometers. “We managed to help him regain the instinct he had almost lost,” said marine biologist Alexandro Saubidet, who took part in the turtle’s rehabilitation, in an interview with National Geographic. Jorge weighs 100 kilograms.
A Local Celebrity
Jorge’s encounter with humans dates back to 1984 in Argentina. In the port city of Bahía Blanca, located along his species’ migratory route, fishermen found him caught in a net, injured and unconscious. He was taken to an aquarium in Mendoza, in the Andes. During his captivity, Jorge became a local celebrity. Over the decades, the public regularly visited him, and a petition calling for his release eventually gathered more than 60,000 signatures. In 2021, environmental lawyers even filed a lawsuit demanding his freedom, but it was unsuccessful. In 2022, the city authorities finally decided to involve several institutions in his release, including the Marine and Coastal Research Institute of the University of Mar del Plata and the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences.
Valuable Insights for Science
For three years, Jorge was trained to readapt to the salinity and temperatures of the ocean and to swim in spaces much larger than his aquarium enclosure. He underwent X-rays and blood tests. Biologists also had to reintroduce him to other animals and teach him how to hunt again.
The operation has so far been a success—and a unique case due to the long duration of captivity. Thanks to a satellite tracker, Jorge’s journey is being closely monitored by researchers, providing valuable data for scientific studies. After passing through Uruguayan waters on April 25 and southern Brazil on May 6, Jorge is expected to reach the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro in the coming days.Demander à ChatGPT
