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More than 2,000 visitors Saturday bid farewell to a loggerhead turtle, which after three years at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, will be released in the Ten Thousand Islands in June.

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Julia Van Fleet, 10, waits for her friend Shenai Malo, 10, as they walk through the Florida Panther exhibit in the Discovery Center during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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Sara Trochessett, 5, is reflected in the glass as she looks at Terrapin turtles in a tank while exploring the Discovery Center during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August of 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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Jessica DiLauro, center right, her husband Omar, center left, Linda Ivers, left, and several others wait in anticipation to see a loggerhead sea turtle swim through an aquarium as they visit it during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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Keira Wood, 8, top right, and Erika Mogelvan, 5, look at Terrapin turtles in a tank while exploring the Discovery Center during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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Noah Trochessett, 2, right, and other children look at Terrapin turtles in a tank while exploring the Discovery Center during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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Jeremiah Slaton, 6, looks at a loggerhead sea turtle as it swims through an aquarium during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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People take pictures as a loggerhead sea turtle swims through an aquarium during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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Jeremiah Slaton, 6, from left, Elizabeth Urbanowski, 11, and Abby Ramieriz, 2, watch as a loggerhead sea turtle swims through an aquarium during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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Two terrapin turtles bump against each other in a tank at the Discovery Center during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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Jessica DiLauro, left, and several others watch a loggerhead sea turtle swim through an aquarium as they visit it during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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A person reaches out to touch the glass as a loggerhead sea turtle swims through an aquarium during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
View photo »

A loggerhead sea turtle swims through an aquarium during the Sea Turtle Festival on Saturday at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. About 2,000 people attended the event that was held so the public could say goodbye to the loggerhead turtle that has been at the Discovery Center since August 2005 after it was taken as a hatchling from Sanibel Island illegally, transported to Minnesota and eventually sent back to the Conservancy. The turtle will be released back into the wild in June.
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