TAMPA, FL — Enrichment activities are part of the daily lives of the marine creatures at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, and that goes for a loggerhead sea turtle named Shelldon.
According to the aquarium staff, Shelldon’s favorite activity is navigating a hula hoop, a skill at which he’s become quite proficient. As soon as he spots the aquarium staff with the hula hoop, he begins to swim toward it, seemingly proud of his prowess at swimming through the circle.
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This week he had a chance to show off his hula hoop skills for the video camera.
For those wondering how Shelldon got his name, it was one of the suggestions chosen by hundreds of aquarium fans.
Shelldon, a juvenile male, was unable to be returned to the wild due to an injury. He was cold-stunned and unable to swim when he was rescued by The Florida Aquarium’s Animal Response Team.
When it was decided he would have a permanent home at the aquarium, The Florida Aquarium and Florida Blue held a naming contest in March. They invited Hillsborough County elementary school students to suggest names and then aquarium Facebook fans were invited to vote for their favorite. After thousands of votes were cast, Shelldon, the name submitted by Michael Schmitt’s fifth-grade class at Kimbell Elementary School, was chosen by popular vote. The class received a trip to The Florida Aquarium to meet Shelldon as prize for submitting the winning name.
Last year, Florida Blue health insurance company awarded a $250,000 grant to support the Animal Response Team’s work. Learn more about The Florida Aquarium’s Animal Response Team.