CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- It will be a little longer before a sea turtle rehabilitated at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston returns to the ocean.
An endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle named Little Debbie was to be transported south on Thursday and released in warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Canaveral in Florida.
But officials say the turtle was a bit stressed and the trip was canceled. She will now be released off South Carolina in a few months when the water is warmer.
Little Debbie was found in May 2009 in Georgetown County suffering pneumonia and an injured flipper.
There are about 19 other turtles currently being treated at the aquarium. Most are expected to be cleared for release in the next few months.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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