Around SeaWorld Orlando, this loggerhead sea turtles is known as "Mr. 1,000."

When summer began, Kate Grimaldi and the SeaWorld Orlando aquarium staff had no idea they’d be caring for more than a hundred sea turtles affected by the massive Gulf oil spill.

On September 16, Lateesha Hektner, (above on right) from SeaWorld Orlando’s animal rescue team, returned to the wild 12 sea turtles that had been in the park’s care. The sea turtles – 11 highly endangered Kemp’s Ridley and one green – all were impacted by the Gulf oil spill.

On Tuesday, SeaWorld Orlando's animal rescue team returned 15 endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles to the waters off Marco Island, FL.

On August 18, about five miles off the coast of Cedar Key, Fla., SeaWorld Orlando animal rescue and rehabilitation experts returned to the wild 12 endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles that had been saved from the oil spill. The park's experts worked closely with The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The sea turtles were the first oiled turtles to be returned to the wild.

On Wednesday, August 18, SeaWorld is releasing 12 oil-impacted, endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles back into waters near Cedar Key, Fla. Follow the release tomorrow on Twitter @seaworld for up-to-the-minute updates.

More than 60 endangered sea turtles impacted by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have now come through SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Center.

On Tuesday, July 20, 2010 SeaWorld transported 19 endangered green and Kemp's Ridley sea turtles to the park's rehabilitation facility for health issues directly related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the story of their journey:

On Tuesday, July 20 SeaWorld transported 19 endangered green and Kemp's Ridley sea turtles to the park's rehabilitation facility for health issues directly related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.