Beloved sea turtle Nimbus euthanized due to health decline

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores announced Friday it had to euthanize a sea turtle named Nimbus.

The 13-year-old leucistic loggerhead sea turtle underwent emergency surgery Wednesday afternoon at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine due a recent decline in health, the aquarium wrote.

A severe stomach disease was confirmed during surgery.

The N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores veterinary and animal care teams made the decision to humanely euthanize Nimbus on Wednesday evening, according to the aquarium’s social media pages.

"Nimbus was loved by our staff, volunteers, and guests. This was not an easy decision, and you could see it on the faces and hear it in each person’s voice when we discussed the situation,” said Clint Taylor, director of the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. “Based on the severity of the internal issue, it was extremely important for us to look at his overall health and quality of life.”

Nimbus came to the aquarium as a hatchling in August 2010 when he was found during a nest excavation on a Pine Knoll Shores beach performed by N.C. Sea Turtle Project volunteers of Pine Knoll Shores. Nimbus was the favorite animal of many of our guests, volunteers and staff.

Aquarium leadership said they are working on a memorial opportunity in honor of Nimbus.