Watch CBS News

New England Sea Turtles Arrive In Florida

BOSTON (CBS) – Almost three dozen rescued sea turtles are now basking in the Florida sunshine.

Fifteen threatened Loggerheads and 20 endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles were dropped off in Orlando, Fla., and picked up by several wildlife recovery centers and aquariums, including SeaWorld, Orlando.

On Sunday, the Coast Guard released images of their travels.

"By helping to protect and rescuing endangered and threatened marine wildlife, the Coast Guard supports its living marine resource missions. The preservation of sea turtles is vital to the health of our oceans and fisheries," the Coast Guard said.

This year, a record number of 150 "cold-stunned" endangered sea turtles suffering from hypothermia were rescued by the New England Aquarium Marine Rescue Program volunteers throughout the Northeast coast.

On Friday, staff at the New England Aquarium loaded the turtles onto Coast Guard planes. This is the first of many upcoming flights after more than 150 turtles came ashore on Cape Cod in November.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.