SAN DIEGO -- A pair of olive ridley turtles, found comatose after two big winter storms on the Oregon coast in December, are scheduled to be flown to San Diego Thursday so they can continue their rehabilitation at SeaWorld.
Named Thunder and Lightning, the turtles will be transported by the U.S. Coast Guard to Naval Air Station North Island. SeaWorld said its rescue team will pick up the turtles from the base and bring them to the park's Animal Rescue Center to continue their care -- with the goal of eventually returning
them to the ocean.
The turtles, which belong to an endangered species, were cared for at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Park officials said Thunder is 2 feet long and weighs about 80 pounds. Her primary issue upon arrival was severe hypothermia. Lightning, also 2 feet long and weighing about 50 pounds, was also suffering from hypothermia, as well as several other problems, including a buoyancy issue and injuries to both eyes.
Olive ridleys are found throughout the Pacific Ocean, though mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. They generally venture no further north than Southern California on the eastern Pacific coast but do sometimes wander into the relatively cold waters of Oregon and Washington State, according to SeaWorld.
