By Andrea Romano From Mashable

Glide, little sea turtle. Glide like the wind.

An amputee sea turtle named Hofesh, which translates to “freedom” from Hebrew, is one lucky amphibian. The kindness and ingenuity of Israeli design student Shlomi Gez has allowed Hofesh to look forward to a long, more seaworthy life.

Hofesh lost two of his flippers on his left side when he was caught in a fishing net four years ago. The event left him lopsided, unable to swim in his natural habitat. His new water wings, which are attached to his back, give Hofesh balance and a much happier life.

The sleek-looking fins are inspired by the design of a F-22 Raptor fighter jet. Hofesh may not be able to go as fast as a speeding jet plane, but he definitely looks as cool as one.

While his new limbs will be able to grow with him, Hofesh cannot be released back to sea. If the apparatus were to be detached, he wouldn’t be able to survive in the open water. However, he seems happy enough splashing around in his bigger tank.

As Hofesh grows into maturity, he’ll be helping his human friends at the rescue center. Godspeed, you hero amongst turtles.

ALL IMAGES: ARIEL SCHALIT/ASSOCIATED PRESS

For more on this story and to see the video go to:

http://mashable.com/2014/05/23/amputee-sea-turtle/