Thousands of 'cold-stunned' sea turtles rescued off coast of Texas

People place rescued turtles stunned by cold weather in an evacuation center in South Padre Island, Texas, U.S., in this still image from video, February 15, 2021. Ed Caum – City Of South Padre Island Convention And Visitors Bureau/ via REUTERS

(Reuters) - The brutal cold snap that has frozen Texas hasn't only numbed unprepared people to the bone - thousands of turtles have been caught off-guard too.

Thousands of sea turtles unused to the plunge in temperatures have been washing up on the beaches of South Padre Island, off the southern coast of Texas. Volunteers have brought some 4,700 of them to a convention centre, where they are being kept in tubs and enclosures before they can be released when the water is warmer.