FORT MACON, N.C. – The U.S. Coast Guard has released almost five dozen rescued sea turtles that were rehabbed in North Carolina.

Fifty-nine turtles, including loggerheads, greens and Kemp’s Ridleys, were returned to the Atlantic on Feb. 12 on Coast Guard Cutter Richard Snyder, N.C. Aquariums said in a news release. The sea turtles had been found stranded in December and January after being cold-stunned.

The turtles were rehabilitated at N.C. Aquariums and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, and volunteers and state biologists took the aquatic reptiles to Coast Guard Station Fort Macon in Carteret County for the release.

Related: Group works to save cold stunned sea turtles in N.C.

Sea turtles can be cold-stunned when water temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, causing them to become lethargic and unable to swim, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They float at the surface, where wind or tides can wash them ashore.

In January, 22 juvenile green and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles were released at Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet.

Over 100 sea turtles remain in recovery at North Carolina facilities, the N.C. Aquariums said.

The organization urges beachgoers to call 252-241-7367 if they find a stranded sea turtle.