320-Pound Turtle Being FedExed From The Keys to Las Vegas

OD the turtle will be heading to The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

A 320-pound green sea turtle is being FedExed from the Florida Keys to Las Vegas, the Florida Keys News Bureau said Wednesday.

The turtle, named OD for the dive boat that rescued it off Key Largo in 2008, will be heading to The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, where it is expected to “retire.”

Sea Turtle Hospital Expected to Open in Florida

OD is believed to be about 50 years old, but cannot be released back to the wild because it is missing one of its two lungs.

Although the turtle has been cared for at the Florida Keys-based Turtle Hospital for almost five years, hospital officials had been trying to find the turtle a more comfortable home.

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OD will soon be in a new 1.3-million-gallon aquarium in Las Vegas, where it will live with other cared-for marine animals including sea turtles.

The turtle is being placed in a transition pool and has to undergo a medical examination to ensure it is fit to travel.

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