After nearly a year of recovery, Long Beach’s Aquarium of the Pacific has returned Porkchop — a green sea turtle with just three flippers — back into the wild.
It’s been a long journey for Porkchop, whose sex and exact age is unknown, after the turtle was rescued from the San Gabriel River in March.
A group of dedicated volunteers participating in the aquarium’s Green Sea Turtle Monitoring Project — which gathers crucial data that’s used to build out scientists’ understanding of the species’ behavior, the health of the larger ecosystem they occupy and more — spotted the injured creature during one of its weekly monitoring sessions.
The volunteers noted that the turtle was stuck in the river because one of its flippers had been tangled in fishing line and other debris so badly that it couldn’t swim away.
Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by Aquarium of the Pacific veterinarians, swims in the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Aquarium of the Pacific staff release Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by aquarium veterinarians over the past year, into the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Onlookers watch as Aquarium of the Pacific staff release Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by aquarium veterinarians over the past year, into the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Aquarium of the Pacific staff release Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by aquarium veterinarians over the past year, into the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by Aquarium of the Pacific veterinarians, swims in the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Aquarium of the Pacific staff prepare to release Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by aquarium veterinarians over the past year, into the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Aquarium of the Pacific staff release Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by aquarium veterinarians over the past year, into the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Aquarium of the Pacific staff release Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by aquarium veterinarians over the past year, into the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Aquarium of the Pacific staff release Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by aquarium veterinarians over the past year, into the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 9Porkchop, a three-finned sea turtle that was rescued and rehabilitated by Aquarium of the Pacific veterinarians, swims in the San Gabriel River in Long Beach on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) ExpandAquarium staffers were later able to rescue the sea turtle. They brought it back to the aquarium for care — where they discovered that 90% of the turtle’s front flipper was dead from a lack of blood circulation caused by the fishing line tangle — and that it had a fishing hook lodged in the back of its mouth.
The aquarium’s veterinarians were initially unsure whether Porkchop would survive the life-threatening injuries.
While the aquarium removed the hook from the turtle’s mouth, its flipper was already dead and couldn’t be saved. It was removed at the ball-and-socket joint by veterinary staff and, months later, completely healed over.
“They took a year caring for (Porkchop), making sure that (the turtle) was fully recovered and was able to forage and eat and thrive,” the aquarium’s new president and CEO, Jeffrey Flocken, said on the banks of the San Gabriel River on Friday, Feb. 27. “Three-flippered sea turtles are not unheard of — and they’ve been seen at all stages of their lifecycle with three flippers, and seem to do very well in the wild.”
Porkchop was given extensive veterinary care during its stay at the aquarium’s new sea turtle rehabilitation area, which officially opened for public viewing in January. The approximately 4,000-gallon rehab pool, next to the Molina Animal Care Center, plays a crucial role in the aquarium’s ability to grow its sea turtle rescue and rehab efforts, which have been ongoing since 2000.
And finally, on Friday morning, aquarium veterinarians, leaders and staffers suited up in waders on the bank of the San Gabriel River, chattering excitedly among themselves as they made the final, necessary preparations before Porkchop could be released back to the river from which they’d rescued the turtle nearly a year before.
Dozens of waterbirds took refuge in the nearby water, basking in the light of the early morning sun, their songs and calls providing the day’s soundtrack.
After gearing up, Aquarium staffers spent time selecting the right release spot for Porkchop; ensuring the trip back into the wild wouldn’t be too rocky or complicated. Once the spot was chosen, four people carried Porkchop across the rocky terrain, guided by two other workers, until they reached the mouth of the river.
As soon as its scutes made contact with river flow, the turtle’s excitement was clear. Porkchop splashed its three remaining flippers in and out of the water — eagerly awaiting its first swim back in the wild.
And a moment later, Porkchop was free. It swam through the algae-rich river waters, among the many other turtles who have made the San Gabriel River a sort of destination for the species in recent years.
“The release was magical,” said Flocken, who was among the group tasked with carrying Porkchop out to the river over rocky terrain. “It was a little harrowing getting in — lots of rocks. But it was really incredible.”
It was a particularly special event for Flocken, as it was his first time participating in an animal release with the aquarium since he joined as the institution’s CEO and president in November.
Though he’s been a part of other animal releases in previous positions, Flocken said Friday, this was his first time assisting with a sea turtle.
“But the real excitement here was being able to see this team work. They’re incredible, so efficient, (and) knew exactly what to do,” Flocken said. “It’s wonderful that we can spread a great message out about rescue rehabilitation and get more people to know what we do at the aquarium. But in the end, the number one thing everyone was concerned about was the welfare of the turtle — and that’s what I love to see.”
Porkchop, meanwhile, isn’t alone in the San Gabriel River. Though scientists aren’t completely certain about the number that now spend time in the river, they’ve documented hundreds of turtle sightings there each year.
And just as soon as Porkchop was released, the turtle went and found another of its kind to float with.
“(Porkchop’s) head popped up a little bit farther down (the river), and there was another turtle right by,” Flocken said. “So (Porkchop) immediately made a friend, it looks like.”
The aquarium’s work rescuing, rehabbing and releasing sea turtles back into the wild is ongoing. The new sea turtle rehabilitation area has doubled the aquarium’s capacity to take in and help these creatures — and now, the Aquarium is raising $50,000 to help support those efforts.
Donations can be made online at shorturl.at/g3inF.
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