Nicknamed “Molly,” the turtle beat all odds and survived the hourslong surgery and months of recovery after the tumor threatened her life.
KEY WEST, Fla. — A rescued loggerhead sea turtle known as “Molly” is once again swimming freely in the Florida Keys after undergoing a major operation that captured attention across social media.
Molly — estimated to be 25 to 30 years old and weighing about 170 pounds — was discovered in August by a charter fisherman. She had become tangled in commercial fishing lines that were attached to a crab trap. The lines had wrapped around a massive tumor growing along the left side of her head.
“She came in with multiple tumors, but the one that weighed just over 10 pounds was the biggest threat to her survival,” explained Bette Zirkelbach, who manages The Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida, the facility that treated her. The tumor was draining her strength and causing serious anemia, Zirkelbach said.
At the hospital, Molly received fluids, antibiotics, vitamin supplements and a pressure wrap around the tumor to slow the bleeding. Once she was stable, veterinarians performed a three-hour procedure to remove the growth. According to Zirkelbach, it’s the largest tumor they have ever successfully removed from a sea turtle.
After weeks of recovery and improved health markers, Molly was cleared for release.
Before she headed home, staff attached a satellite tracking device on her shell using a special non-heat adhesive. The tracker — supplied by the Sea Turtle Conservancy — costs around $5,000 and is expected to stay on for six months to two years, allowing researchers and the public to follow her movements online.
She was then transported by “turtle ambulance” to Higgs Beach in Key West, where a crowd gathered to celebrate her return. Once placed in the sand, Molly didn’t hesitate — she immediately crawled toward the waves and disappeared into the ocean.
Tourists Tristan and Tori Edsel, who traveled from South Carolina to witness the moment, said they felt inspired watching Molly head back into the wild. “She overcame something huge,” Tristan said. “And now she gets to go home.”
Zirkelbach said Molly’s story has brought renewed attention to the challenges sea turtles face and the importance of rescue efforts. “She’s captured hearts from all over the world,” she said. “She truly beat the odds.”