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.
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.