Watch CBS News

Endangered Turtles From New England Aquarium Released Back To Ocean

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga. (CBS) -- Fifteen endangered sea turtles rehabilitated by Boston's New England Aquarium were released back into the ocean Saturday.

The Kemp's Ridley turtles were among more than 1,000 that were shocked by cold and stranded on Cape Cod beaches late last year.

The turtles were taken by van to Georgia, where they were released of Jekyll Island in partnership with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

IMG_8439
Releasing an endangered turtle (Photo credit Theresa Rowan for Jekyll Island Authority)

The aquarium plans to release 24 sea turtles in total this weekend.

When the turtles first arrived, marine biologists said they had skin problems and were underweight.

"You can really see the dramatic difference six months of rehabilitation has had," the aquarium said about one of the released turtles in a blog post.

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.