Renowned endurance swimmer Diana Nyad will commemorate the 10th anniversary of her 111-mile swim from Havana to Key West by helping to release a rehabilitated sea turtle into the Atlantic Ocean from the beach where she completed her epic feat in 2013.
Nyad and her Cuba swim expedition leader Bonnie Stoll will release “Rocky,” a 120-pound adult female green sea turtle that was rehabilitated at the Marathon-based Turtle Hospital, on Sunday, Oct. 22, at 9 a.m. at Smathers Beach.
On Labor Day 2013, nearly 2,000 people gathered at the beach to welcome Nyad as she came ashore after swimming continuously for 52 hours and 54 minutes, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to the Keys without a shark cage.
Then 64 years old, Nyad succeeded at the grueling Florida Straits crossing on her fifth try — achieving a dream she had held since first attempting the swim in 1978.
According to Turtle Hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach, it’s appropriate for the swimmer to release Rocky because the turtle’s endurance and determination echo Nyad’s own.
Rescued in January by Florida Fish & Wildlife officers off Key Largo, Rocky was struggling and unable to dive. At the hospital in Marathon, the turtle required an eight-hour intestinal surgery, breathing treatments and a blood transfusion — followed by months of medications and recovery.
“Rocky beat the odds,” said Zirkelbach, “and now she’s fully recovered and ready to return to sea.”
For Sunday’s release, the Turtle Hospital team will arrive at the beach with Rocky at 8:30 a.m. and conduct an informational session before Nyad and Stoll help hospital staff in releasing the turtle into the Atlantic.
Many of the dedicated crew members who supported Nyad’s swim will be on hand, and the public is invited to join them for Rocky’s release.
Another scheduled 10th anniversary event is a party Saturday, Oct. 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Smathers Beach where Nyad, Stoll and their crew members will gather for remembrances and photos near the point where Nyad emerged from the water after her historic swim.
Like the turtle release, the beach party is open to the public.More information is at diananyad.com and turtlehospital.org.
