Sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico are some of the animals impacted by the BP oil spill. Sea turtles, such as leatherback sea turtles, lay their eggs on the beach. When the baby turtles hatch, they make their way to the water. Oil from the spill could injure the baby turtles, so the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is managing a program to relocate turtle eggs from 700 nests on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

The eggs will be hatched at a facility in Florida, and the baby turtles will be released into the ocean from beaches on the Atlantic seashore. Some turtles have already been moved, such as the ones seen above. This picture was taken as the baby turtles were released at Florida’s Cape Canaveral seashore.

Read about the baby turtles and see more pictures on National Geographic News.

Watch a video of the baby turtles being released on National Geographic Kids.

Play Great Turtle Race on National Geographic Kids.

Photograph courtesy Kim Shiflett, NASA