BALTIMORE — Calypso, a 500-pound green sea turtle who had delighted millions of visitors over nearly 20 years as the unofficial “queen” of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, died unexpectedly Sunday, the aquarium announced Monday. The cause of death is unknown.
The roughly 22-year-old female turtle was particularly recognizable for her missing front left flipper, which was amputated in a life-saving operation after becoming infected when she was stranded in the Long Island Sound in 2002. Weighing just 6 pounds at the time, she was rescued by the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, according to the aquarium.
Because of the operation, Calypso was deemed “nonreleasable” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was relocated two years later to the aquarium, where she spent the rest of her life.
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