Two hundred forty-two cold-stunned sea turtles removed from St. Joseph Bay this winter were re-released Wednesday into the Gulf of Mexico off Cape San Blas.
The cold-blooded sea turtles have had a hard time this winter.
Sea turtles can tolerate water temperatures down to about 50 degrees, but when it drops below that, they become stunned.
The reason it happens in St. Joseph Bay so often is because its a long bay that is open only at the north end so the turtles can get trapped when the water cools too quickly.
So far there have been 3 cold-stunning events in the St. Joseph Bay this winter and there will likely be a few more before winter is done.
The turtles that have been rescued have been treated at Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach and Florida’s Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach.
All of the turtles released this week are green turtles.
Twenty-five Kemp’s Ridleys, also rescued from the cold, will be released at a later date, along with more green turtles that are still being held for additional rehabilitation.
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