Texan Scientists Rescue A Record Number Of Loggerhead Turtles

Over 100 people gathered on the coastline on Padre Island as they watched 8 healed Loggerhead turtles being released back in to the Gulf Coast.

In the past 11 months 433 loggerhead turtles have been discovered stranded along the Gulf Coast shoreline. This is around 4 times the annual average amount through the period of 2012-2021. Alas a few organisations set out to help, members from Mission Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Amos Rehabilitation Keep and others workerd to rescue the stranded turts get them back to health and investigate the sudden spike of strandings.

Sadly around 66% of the stranded turtles are found dead and the survivors often injured or not in a good way. 

The way these stranded turts are found is often from members of the public bringing awareness, once a citizen informs the research reserve they can send out volunteers and staff to try and help. Where possible the reserve tries to heal the stranded turts and this is a lovely story about re releasing them. 

If you're out on the shoreline and see a stranded turtle please don't hesitate to call up the Mission Aransas Research Reserve!

Photo Credit: Jace Tunnell