Deputies Rescue Lost Sea Turtle Hatchlings From Florida Hotel

A group of sea turtle hatchlings ended up in a hotel after getting lost on their trek to the ocean.

When baby sea turtles hatch, it’s common for them to make their way to the water to start their life out at sea. However, not all hatchlings successfully make the journey, and some end up getting lost along the way.

That seemingly happened to a group of turtles on St. Pete Beach in Florida when they ended up wandering into a hotel instead of into the ocean!

According to a Facebook post by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, deputaties responded to a call from the hotel’s security guard requesting backup to help secure the lost turtles.

The hotel staff found around 15 turtle hatchlings before calling for backup.

The turtles were found all over the hotel, including in the hotel’s pool, bathrooms, storm drain, and bushes!

Thankfully, hotel security worked with Florida deputies to gather the tiny turtles in a bucket to safely release.

Taking advice from wildlife authorities, the deputies ended up releasing the turtles near the water’s edge and letting them wander into the surf on their own.

PSCO ended the Facebook post by saying, “With some words of encouragement and guidance all the hatchlings made their way to the water successfully. We think Finding Nemo’s pal Crush would be pretty proud of this crew and the deputies too!”

You can watch the hatchlings being released on the beach in the video below: