JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of endangered green sea turtles are being released back into the Atlantic Ocean off Florida after being rescued from frigid waters last week.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says nearly a thousand turtles were freed Thursday on beaches around the Sunshine State, with more to be released Friday. That’s in addition to about a thousand turtles released earlier this week.
Authorities helped rescue nearly 3,000 sea turtles this past week as temperatures in Florida dipped into the 30s. The turtles were taken for treatment at facilities around the state. Several hundred turtles are still being cared for and more are being rescued daily.
Biologists say the turtles enter a state of shock and become immobilized when temperatures plunge.