As hundreds of people watched dozens of sea turtles were released back into the wild this afternoon on South Padre Island.
As hundreds of people watched dozens of sea turtles were released back into the wild this afternoon on South Padre Island.
The Atlantic Green Sea turtles washed ashore last week during the recent cold front and were rehabilitated at Sea Turtle Inc.
Volunteers released the turtles at the Isla Blanca Park.
The turtles were placed in pools in the rehabilitation center’s garage to warm up their bodies which took about 72 hours. Once the turtles were healthy enough, they were able to be released into the Gulf of Mexico.
Sea Turtle Inc. Assistant Curator Kat Lillie said there were a total of 191 turtles that washed up to shore around the Laguna Madre, Dolphin Cove and Boca Chica Beach.
“The temperature dropped really quickly with the recent cold front, and so they went to a state of shock due to the cold,” Lillie said.
The center is rehabilitating 25 more turtles.
