A Southwest Airlines passenger was a bit green in two front row seats Feb. 11.
An endangered green sea turtle named Gertrude arrived at the Kansas City International Airport Monday afternoon after flying halfway across the country from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida.
“We are every excited to welcome her to SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium,” SEA LIFE Kansas City’s Elizabeth Mathews said. “It’s Missouri’s first sea turtle.”
Gertrude, an endangered green sea turtle, was rescued in September 2011 when her two front flippers were found tangled in fishing line causing them to fracture. Gertrude is healed, but due to her injuries one flipper had to be amputated, and she has no power stroke for speed to flee predators and cannot be returned to the ocean, according to a SEA LIFE Kansas City press release. So now she will live in Kansas City and become Missouri’s first resident sea turtle.