Endangered Sea Turtle on Mend After Stranding

A 72-pound sea turtle that washed up on a local beach is recovering at a San Diego marine park, officials said.

The endangered olive ridley turtle was malnourished, dehydrated and had hypothermia when it was found stranded near Leadbetter Beach on Dec. 23. It was taken to Sea World.

“The turtle is doing fairly well,” said Todd Schmitt, a consulting veterinarian for the park.

The turtle refused food for several days, but now is eating shrimp, fish and lettuce, he said.

Olive ridley turtles usually live farther south, but warmer waters caused by El Nino may have prompted them to head north more than 1,000 miles from their normal range.

Schmitt said the turtle still cannot dive. It probably will remain at Sea World at least until summer, but eventually will be released back into the ocean.