The turtle freed after 41 years in captivity episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 10, 2026 · 10 MIN

The turtle freed after 41 years in captivity

from Witness History · host BBC World Service

In 1984, loggerhead sea turtle Jorge became trapped in fishing nets and was moved to an aquarium in Mendoza. He was kept in captivity for more than 40 years until legal action and a campaign led to the closure of the aquarium and his release in 2025. But, where is he now?Megan Jones asks marine biologist Alejandro Saubidet, who was in charge of his rehabilitation.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines’ life and Omar Sharif’s legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives’ ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: Jorge. Credit: Andres Larrovere/via Getty)

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 10, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

The turtle freed after 41 years in captivity

0:00 10:57

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Witness History?

This episode is 10 minutes long.

When was this Witness History episode published?

This episode was published on April 10, 2026.

Can I download this Witness History episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!