19 New England sea turtles back in the Atlantic Ocean after rehabbing in Missouri

It was sunny and 72 degrees as the turtles made their way into the ocean off Little Talbot Island State Park near Jacksonville, rehab facility officials said.

Their long journey was made possible by the Johnny Morris Sea Turtle Center in Springfield, Missouri, and the nonprofit group Turtles Fly Too. The turtles were then driven to Florida before their release.

Twenty loggerhead and Kemp’s ridley turtles were flown in December from the New England Aquarium in Boston to the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, according to director of animal care Mike Daniel.

One of the turtles was critically ill and died after arriving in Missouri. The other 19 spent 13 weeks being treated for cold stunning, which occurs when water temperatures drop quickly and cause sea turtles to suffer from various conditions such as pneumonia, hypothermia, and dehydration.

Veterinarians at the center provided around-the-clock care.

Hundreds of sea turtles along the Atlantic Coast of the United States suffered from cold stunning over the past few months, and most typically are flown to Florida for rehab.

The Missouri turtle center opened in 2020 and has rehabbed about 64 sea turtles.

The turtles were equipped with specialized satellite tracking devices that allow conservation scientists to monitor them.