Aquarium of Niagara welcomes endangered sea turtle after $175K exhibit renovation

The turtle, Squirt, has permanent injuries that were caused by a boat propeller.

He will help the aquarium educate guests about how human actions can both help and hurt wildlife, Gary Siddall, president and CEO of Aquarium of Niagara, said in a news release.

To prepare for Squirt’s arrival, the aquarium completed a $175,000 exhibit renovation and underwent a rigorous inspection process in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Kemp’s ridleys are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, and the FWS is entrusted to protect and recover the species.

The aquarium was looking to acquire a non-releasable sea turtle whose story could amplify those of its other rescued and non-releasable residents, Siddall said.

“We’ve found that animals whose stories illustrate challenges they faced in their natural environment are most compelling for our visitors,” he said.

Originally found eight years ago floating in the Peace River in Punta Gorda, Fla., it was determined that Squirt’s jaw and left eye injuries left him unable to forage and eat live prey, and he would not likely survive if returned to his natural environment.

Squirt was in the care of animal experts in Florida, but as he grew, it was determined that he should be transferred to a facility with a larger exhibit to meet his needs.

The Aquarium of Niagara had a 10,000 gallon exhibit available since its black-tipped reef sharks were moved to New Jersey’s Jenkinson’s Aquarium in 2020.

The exhibit upgrade received funding support from the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency and energy company NOCO. Squirt is sharing his new exhibit with several species of fish.

Squirt was transported to the aquarium by Turtles Fly Too, a nonprofit that recruits private pilots to volunteer their time and aircraft to facilitate endangered sea turtle…