Cowabunga! More than 800 Turtles Rescued from Storm Drains

Hundreds of baby turtles have been rescued from storm drains along the Jersey Shore.

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NJ Advance Media reports that volunteers have rescued 826 diamondback terrapin hatchlings from drains in Margate, Ventnor and Ocean City.

According to a Stockton University Facebook post, the turtles were hiding from the cold temperatures over the winter and surviving off yolk sacks.

The volunteers turned the animals over to Stockton University’s “Head Start” program, where staff care for and rehabilitate the creatures for about a year before placing them back in the wild.

There are 1,108 terrapins receiving care from the program, which has reached capacity.