Twelve shelled survivors took a dip back into their natural habitats yesterday, as the Houston Zoo, in partnership with Texas A&M's Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research, celebrated the release of a dozen green sea turtles off a Galveston beach. The crowd was all cheers as these endangered reptiles, having overcome a bout with Mother Nature's icy grip, slid back into the Gulf of Mexico.
A recent cold snap left these turtles cold-stunned, a perilous state that rendered them unable to swim, often causing them to wash ashore. Dangerously low body temperatures and the threat of pneumonia sometimes left their survival on thin ice. "When they were found by our team or the A&M team, their body temperature was at freezing or just slightly above, which is not compatible with life," Dr. Joe Flanagan with the Houston Zoo explained on KHOU 11. Muscle damage from rough waves and collisions with hard surfaces were also among the injuries treated.
In the aftermath of their ordeal and the subsequent tender loving care provided by the experts, these turtles are now back in fighting shape, actively eating and growing, as per the Houston Zoo reps. During their rehabilitation, the animals were under the watchful eyes of the Zoo's sea turtle team and professionals from Texas A&M, who have been instrumental in nursing the creatures back to health.
Not all departures went untracked. Three of the turtles are sporting satellite monitors to beam back data to researchers, eager to map out the paths of these now-healthy specimens. "This will allow us to get 10 to 15 locations per day over the next three to four months and we can see where these turtles are spending their time," Dr. Chris Marshall with the Gulf Center for Turtle Research told KHOU 11. Information gleaned from these tagged turtles will bolster conservation strategies for the endangered population, helping ensure they continue to receive the protection they so critically need.
While the release of these turtles writes a happy chapter for conservationists, Texas A&M has its sights set on an even bigger prize: a dedicated sea turtle hospital, expected to grace the shores of Galveston within the next couple years. In the meantime, experts urge the public to leave the hands-on heroics to the professionals—anyone stumbling upon a stranded sea turtle should reach for their phone, not the turtle, and call the state sea turtle hotline at 1-866-TURTLE-5, advised FOX 26 Houston.
