Like the famed white bear which roams the Arctic ice, the resolutely Antarctic penguin is deemed a “polar” animal. The word polar, when you think about it, is a suggestive word: it suggests great and opposite extremes. True to the word, the penguin is a warm-blooded creature that lives in the coldest of climates. The bird is black and, at once, white. Within this language of opposites, would it be fair to say the penguin is also night and day?

TurtleTrek, opening April 27 at SeaWorld Orlando, will be home to two species of adult and juvenile sea turtles, as well as four Florida manatees and a stunning variety of tropical and native fish.

Back in February, we held a Facebook Fan naming contest for a rescued olive ridley sea turtle. In a landslide victory, the turtle was the named “Paradise Fears” for the exciting young rock-pop band from Vermillion, South Dakota. While working in nearby Los Angeles the band dropped by to meet their true namesake sea turtle. They even got to help with the turtle’s check up. The olive ridley turtle is expected to be returned to the wild later this year and we hope the band will be back for the send off!

Take an insider's look at how SeaWorld Orlando returns a rehabilitated sea turtle back into its natural environment. Learn from turtle expert, Dan Conklin, what this sub-adult loggerhead suffered from and how SeaWorld prepared it for its return and how you, too, can help save turtles.

Earlier this morning, members of the SeaWorld Orlando animal rescue team returned a rehabilitated, sub-adult loggerhead sea turtle back into the waters of the Canaveral National Sea Shore in Titusville, Fla. This is the fifth turtle returned in 2012.

Shark attack victim Lucy Mangum celebrated her seventh birthday at Discovery Cove due to the kindness of Southwest employee, Mike Williams who heard Lucy’s incredible story during a national television interview.

Today (March 17, 2012) is the one-year anniversary of Clover, a female southern sea otter. Clover's story began in late 2010 when she was rescued and brought to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At that time, Clover was a young, wild otter that stranded due to illness. Veterinarians examined and treated her for several months and deemed her unable to return to the ocean, due to her need for long term care. Clover arrived at SeaWorld San Diego at about 5 months old on St. Patrick's Day, hence the name Clover.

You may remember that just a few weeks ago our SeaWorld animal care team received a 100-pound loggerhead turtle that swallowed a 4 inch-long fishing hook. The animal arrived at SeaWorld Orlando February 26 and immediately underwent surgery following x-rays and blood work procedures. Our vet removed the hook, and after a speedy recovery, we released the turtle home this morning just south of Cocoa Beach, FL.