Gulf oil spill turtles finally released

Thirty three endangered sea turtles have finally been released back into Gulf of Mexico waters off the coast of Louisiana, after being cared for by the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans.

The turtles, some of the 500 rescued after the BP oil spill, were released 40 miles south west of Grand Isle. They were found covered in oil by rescuers in the days and weeks after the spill. Jane Lubchenco from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric institute (NOAA) stated:

"We were able to release these turtles because they're now healthy, and we're seeing recovery in the surface habitats of the Gulf of Mexico,".

Although officials declared an end to the disaster on the 19th of September, the spill clean up operation is still ongoing and efforts are still underway to revive wildlife in the region.

There have been extensive tests on the water in the region over the last few weeks by scientists making sure that the sargassum algae was clean. This provides protection to turtles and is a haven for food and other sea creatures.

The Audubon Nature Institute's CEO Ron Forman stated:

"Six months ago, it was nearly impossible to imagine this day would ever come,".