Sea turtles rescued from cold waters near Galveston

GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- The cold weather has led to hundreds of animal rescues along the Gulf Coast. Turtles are left stunned by the drop in temperatures.

"We are seeing more green turtles on the Texas coast, the population is rebounding," explained NOAA Fisheries biologist Lyndsey Howell.

The government run turtle hospital rescued 48 green sea turtles since November. Many come in stunned from the bitter water temperatures. Some aren't moving much and need antibiotics.

More than 400 sea turtles have been found along the Texas coast. The turtles float in the water to survive the extreme cold but don't always survive. Statewide, more than 60 died.

"Because the barnacles growing on the shell you can tell this guy has been floating around for a while and he wasn't feeding as well," said Sea Turtle program manager Ben Higgins.