MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A sheriff’s deputy in Florida escorted an unlikely group home when some baby turtles got lost.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office shared a video of the tiny reptiles on Facebook and said in the caption that a Bradenton Beach resident found the turtles roaming the parking lot of her apartment complex.
Baby Turtle Rescue & ReleaseBABY TURTLE RESCUE & RELEASE 🐢: This weekend, Sgt. Nixon helped Bradenton Beach Police Department officers and the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch & Shorebird Monitoring, AMITW team relocate some lost baby sea turtles. A Bradenton Beach resident discovered the baby turtles roaming her apartment complex’s parking lot. It appeared the turtles hatched on the beach and traveled the wrong way, crossing over Gulf Dr, and into the parking lot across the road. The Island Turtle Watch team directed officers and Sgt. Nixon as they searched the area, collected the turtles, and eventually released them on the beach about 20 feet from the water so they could imprint on the area and hopefully return when it is their time to lay eggs! Sgt. Nixon was able to capture some amazing video of the babies making their way into the gulf! #SeaTurtleRescue #Community
Posted by Manatee County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, July 27, 2022
Sgt. Nixon of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office collected the turtles in a pail before releasing them back into the water, WFLA reported.
The video shows the baby turtles making their way across the sand and into the water, with some needing a little added encouragement to stay pointed in the right direction.
Sea turtles lay up to 100 eggs, which incubate in the sand for about 60 days before hatching, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. When the turtles hatch, they instinctually follow the slope of the beach to the ocean, using the reflections of the moon and stars to help guide their way.
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