Sea turtles released into the Atlantic

It was graduation day for some sea turtles in Topsail Island.

Volunteers for the Sea Turtle Hospital released 16 turtles back to the ocean this morning.

They have all been nursed back to health after surviving anything from broken shells to infections.

Many of the volunteers say the battle for these sea turtles is not over yet.

Sandy Sly of the Sea Turtle Hospital board of directors said, “We know what these turtles have to face out there in that ocean and we are not happy about that, but we are happy that they are well enough that they can go home and that we have done our job which was to rehabilitate them and get them home where they belong.”

To date, the Karen B Easley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center has released more than 100 sea turtles back to the Atlantic.