Hundreds Of Baby Turtles Rescued From Ocean City Storm Drains

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Volunteers came to the rescue of 826 baby turtles that slipped through the cracks of storm drains in Ocean City, Ventnor and Margate.

The turtles were hiding underground from cold temperatures in their nest chambers and surviving off of their yolk sacs, Stockton University wrote in a Facebook post.

Marlene Galdi and Joanne Freas often help quarter-sized turtles struggling to cross streets and climb over curbs.

The pair recently found hundreds of baby turtles swimming in storm drains in Ocean City. They crafted a custom scooper from a telescopic aquarium net attached to a bamboo pole to rescue them.

Another volunteer discovered baby turtles in storm drains in Ventnor and Margate.

Evelyn Kidd has been rescuing turtles for years and has taught local children in her neighborhood how to scoop them up safely.

All of the 826 rescued terrapins have been enrolled in Stockton University's “Head Start” program, where staff will care for them for about a year before releasing them back in the wild. There are 1,108 turtles receiving care in the program, which has reached capacity.

If anyone finds a terrapin hatchling in the street, Stockton University recommends placing them in a container of room temperature water filled up to the turtle’s shell and placing a flat rock inside the container.

The container should be kept in a protected area to prevent birds from preying on the turtle. If the terrapin seems healthy and active, it can be released at dusk into a tidal creek or bay area.

Keep up to date with what's happening in your community by subscribing to your local Patch newsletter here.