Featured Image Credit: Coast Guard Midatlantic
By Natalie Helbling
Thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard… we have a lot of turtle to SHELLABRATE!
Turtles can often find themselves in a dilemma throughout the winter months along the Atlantic Coast. As the turtles travel, they sometimes get trapped in Bays with cold waters or get stuck on shore with cold temperatures and wind. Being stranded leads to hypothermia and other internal problems that are related to cold weather shock.
Trained volunteers took in these impaired turtles and treat them until they are ready to hit the seas again, and the Coast Guard Cutter Cushing in North Carolina released 27 rehabilitated sea turtles this past Saturday! This crew is out of Atlantic Beach, and they returned the turtles back to the Gulf Stream waters: exactly where they knew the turtles could thrive and jump right back into doing turtle-y things!
Take a look at some of the adorable pictures taken from the release!
Big thanks to these guys and gals at the U.S. Coast Guard for caring about turtle populations and making sure they are happy and healthy!