Busy year at SC Aquarium as another sea turtle released

It’s been a busy year for the Sea Turtle Rescue Program at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston.

The program released its 27th rehabilitated turtle of the year Tuesday at Folly Beach.

The loggerhead turtle named Dewey had a piece of one flipper bitten off by a shark. But after two months of rehabilitation at the hospital the turtle was returned to the surf.

Since the aquarium opened 15 years ago, the aquarium has treated and released 172 sea turtles. The aquarium is expanding its sea turtle hospital and the larger facility is scheduled to open in 2017.