National Aquarium releases 29 rehabilitated sea turtles named for Baltimore neighborhoods

The National Aquarium turned a winter rescue intake into a Baltimore story with measurable results: 29 cold-stunned sea turtles named for city neighborhoods were released on April 14 after months of rehabilitation, with 10 others still in care and one more turtle lost after arrival.

The turtles were part of a larger intake of 40 that came to Baltimore from New England on December 3, 2025. Aquarium Animal Rescue staff and more than a dozen volunteers weighed, measured and examined the animals on arrival, then housed them off-exhibit in a rehab pool at Pier 4. One turtle died from injuries suffered before rescue, leaving 39 alive after intake. The release took place at Oak Island, North Carolina, during a public event, and the aquarium also returned one rehabilitated seal to the sea the same day.

For Baltimore, the naming contest gave the effort a local identity that was easy to picture and easy to share. Nearly 500 people submitted names, votes were cast for nearly 100 different neighborhoods, and the top five vote-getters were Canton, Hamilton, Hampden, Patterson Park and Fell’s Point. The released turtles carried neighborhood names including Hampden, Canton, Federal Hill, Curtis Bay, Riverside and Locust Point, tying the rehab work directly to places residents know.

The stories behind the animals underscored how severe cold stunning can be. Animal Rescue manager Margot Madden said the condition can cause confusion and respiratory problems, leaving young turtles disoriented, off their migratory route and vulnerable to predators and boat strikes. Aquarium staff pointed to some especially damaged turtles, including Little Italy, one of the smallest in the group, which had lost a sizeable portion of its carapace, and Mount Vernon and Patterson Park, each missing a flipper because of injury or infection.

The release also showed how the National Aquarium operates as more than a visitor attraction on the Inner Harbor. Its Animal Rescue program has been running since 1991, and the aquarium says it is federally permitted by NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to respond to sick and injured sea turtles and marine mammals along Maryland’s coastline. The institution is now shifting to seal season, after its first seal of the year arrived on February 16 from Cape Charles, Virginia, following a distress call near Valentine’s Day and a rescue coordinated with the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center.