Wildlife officials don’t know if oil spill killed 20 sea turtles found along Miss. coast

20 sea turtles found dead along Miss. beaches

GULFPORT, Miss. — At least 20 sea turtles have been found dead this weekend along a 30-mile stretch of Mississippi beaches from Biloxi to Bay St. Louis.

While wildlife officials can’t say with certainty the turtles, some endangered, died as a result of the oil spill, the number concerns them.

Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport, Miss., said Sunday this is typically the time of year when turtles wash up on shore.

Solangi says even though no oil appears to be on the turtles, they may still have been sickened by consuming oil-coated fish. He says that won’t be clear until necropsies are performed on Monday.

Some of the dead reptiles are endangered Kemps ridley turtles.