Two rehabilitated sea turtles, Julian and Falafel, swam home from Paradise Beach

Two sea turtles left Howard E. Futch Memorial Park at Paradise Beach on Thursday after long stays at the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center at Brevard Zoo. Hometown News Brevard reported on October 9, 2026, that juvenile green turtle Julian stranded on Satellite Beach in October 2025 and was brought in by the Sea Turtle Preservation Society. Julian had pneumonia, gastrointestinal parasites, small wounds on the shell, a bone infection that swelled the left flipper, low blood glucose, and high phosphate. Nutrition, rest, and medical care made the release possible.

Loggerhead Falafel, a sub-adult, arrived in June 2026 from Coastal Connections after line from a recreational cast net cinched the left front flipper and cut off blood flow. Infection meant that flipper had to be removed. The zoo's veterinary team expects Falafel to live in the ocean with three flippers, which is a documented outcome for sea turtles, and said the turtle had been healthy before the abandoned gear. Staff noted that derelict fishing equipment is one of the largest threats these animals face.