Nearly 400 cold-stunned turtles in Texas released into Gulf

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Nearly 400 sea turtles found stunned by recent frigid weather along the Texas coast have been returned to the Gulf of Mexico near Corpus Christi.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports the warmed and rehabilitated reptiles were released Sunday with help from the National Park Service and volunteers. The release of the 395 turtles took place along the beach at Padre Island National Seashore.

Early January temperatures dipped into the 30s in the area.

National Park Service spokeswoman Donna Shaver has said cold-stunned turtles in shallow water can become incapacitated and float to the surface. People in boats and visitors walking along the shoreline helped rescue the animals.

Shaver says all of the turtles released Sunday were part of this month’s cold snap.

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Information from: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, http://www.caller.com