Iconic 3-Flippered Sea Turtle Unexpectedly Dies In Baltimore Aquarium

The iconic resident green sea turtle of the National Aquarium in Baltimore has unexpectedly died. The cause of her death is so far unknown.

Goodbye, Calypso

In a press release, the National Aquarium in Baltimore announced that its 500-pound green sea turtle, Calypso, has passed away. Evidently, Calypso was found unresponsive in an exhibit on the morning of Feb. 3 before the opening of the Aquarium. Although the staff members quickly responded to try to save Calypso, she was already gone.

For now, the cause of Calypso’s death is unknown as the preliminary tests by the facility’s Animal Health and Welfare team did not reveal any obvious cause of death. Calypso was deemed healthy throughout her time at the Aquarium and she did not display any signs of illness or disease even days prior to her death. In fact, she was even monitored daily to check her condition.

To investigate the reason behind Calypso’s death, a full necropsy will be performed.

“To say we are heartbroken today is woefully inadequate. We are truly devastated at losing Calypso,” National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli said. “Arriving here as a survivor of cold stunning, she was a living testament to our commitment to animal rescue, care and welfare.”

Calypso

Calypso was first rescued by the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation in the year 2000 after she was found cold-stunned with an infected flipper. Calypso’s front left flipper was amputated to prevent the infection from spreading and, as such she was deemed as a non-releaseable animal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

By 2002, Calypso found a new home at the National Aquarium, where she stayed behind the scenes for about two months before becoming an instant favorite among the guests. From weighing just 6 pounds at the time she was rescued, Calypso grew to weigh over 500 pounds during her time at the facility.

In 2013, she was moved to the Blacktip Reef exhibit where she was the central figure. Through the years, Calypso became one of the National Aquarium’s most iconic residents that the gift shop had special plush green sea turtles without the front left flipper.

“Over the past 18 years, she inspired millions and embodied our conservation mission. She was an irreplaceable member of our family, and every one of us—along with an entire generation of Aquarium visitors from around the world—will miss her,” Racanelli said.