CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas State Aquarium announced Saturday that more than 20 sea turtles are still on the path to recovery following the cold weather. Those turtles are staying in the Sea Turtle Hospital at the Center for Wildlife Rescue, where Coastal Bend residents can visit with no cost of admission, though donations are appreciated.
More than 300 cold-stunned sea turtles were released back into Coastal Bend waterways last week following those efforts from teams at the Aquarium, the Texas Sealife Center and other area partners.
Several of those local organizations have taken to social media to thank the public for sharing information about stranded and cold-stunned turtles affected by the freeze.
The Texas State Aquarium successfully rehabilitated and released 275 green sea turtles last Tuesday with help from the Padre Island National Seashore staff and their own crews, who began working overtime once temperatures dropped on Jan 15.
The Texas Sealife Center released a total of 82 sea turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico over the past two weeks, with their team releasing 56 turtles on Tuesday.
The Center told 3News that they plan to have a public release for rehabilitated turtles in a month or so when the weather is more predictable.
The Padre Island National Seashore said that in total, 1,598 cold-stunned sea turtles were rescued in the state of Texas.
The rescue, recovery, and release efforts of the cold-stunned sea turtles from last week have come full circle, according to PINS. The state park is now accepting volunteers to help protect turtles ahead of the upcoming nesting season, for those who may feel inspired by recent interactions with the wildlife. Volunteers can sign up for a training course beginning in February.