Volunteers Rescue Thousands of Sea Turtles From Texas Winter [Video]

• The freezing temperatures in Texas have stunned the sea turtles along the coast of Texas, rendering them immobile.
• Sea turtles are cold-blooded and therefore unable to regulate their internal temperature, putting them at risk for drowning.
• Several volunteers are now rescuing as many turtles as they can to bring them safely to a temporary shelter.

Temperatures have been reaching record lows in Texas the past few days, threatening the lives of not just humans but also animals, including sea turtles along the coast. Thankfully, several volunteers from a wildlife sanctuary teamed up to rescue them.

The extreme cold has virtually paralyzed the cold-blooded sea turtles who are unable to regulate their internal temperature. Rendered unable to move or swim properly, they are in danger of drowning.

Volunteers have scoured the shoreline to rescue as many turtles as they can and bring them safely to the Sea Turtle, Inc. sanctuary on South Padre Island.

My mom is retired, & she spends her winters volunteering at a sea turtle rescue center in south Texas. The cold snap is stunning the local turtles & they’re doing a lot of rescues. She sent me this photo today of the back of her Subaru. It’s *literally* turtles all the way down. pic.twitter.com/xaDRNjLDoQ— Lara (@lara_hand) February 15, 2021

Aside from the wildlife sanctuary, the South Padre Island Convention Centre and Visitors Bureau has also become a temporary shelter for the rescued turtles.

The building itself houses about 3,500 so far, with more and more turtles being brought in by the hour.

The sight is definitely surreal, especially knowing that each turtle is a life saved by people who took the time to help them.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sea Turtle, Inc. (@seaturtleinctx)

The rescue effort is still ongoing as everyone hopes for the harsh weather to subside. They will be safely returned to their natural habitat once the temperatures have returned to normal.

You can learn more about Sea Turtle, Inc. and how you can help by visiting them here.

Source: The Dodo