A wayward sea turtle wound up in the Netherlands. A rescue brought it thousands of miles back home

GALVESTON, Texas — An endangered sea turtle that was found about a year ago some 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers) from its native waters has been released into the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Houston Zoo.

The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, named Boeier after the boat that rescued it, was found off the coast of the Netherlands after becoming entangled in the net of the commercial fishing boat.

Kemp’s ridley are the smallest and one of the most endangered species of sea turtle in the world, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA says these turtles are primarily found in “the Gulf of Mexico, but juveniles are also found in the Atlantic Ocean as far north as Nova Scotia and sometimes even occur in the eastern North Atlantic.”

The zoo said the turtle apparently was carried away by currents until it was found and the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Service secured the turtle’s return.

The turtle was taken to the Rotterdam Zoo where it was nursed back to health and eventually was flown to Houston, where it arrived Oct. 29, the zoo said.

After medical tests and an acclimation process, a healthy Boeier was released into the Gulf of Mexico from Stewart Beach in Galveston on Nov. 4.

The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is native to the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean and is the smallest sea turtle at 27-32 inches (68-81 cm) long and weighs 75-100 pounds (34 to 45 kg), according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The turtle was placed on the endangered species list in 1970, according to the department.