Observers have noticed an increase in the number of dead endangered sea turtles washing up on the Texas coast.
The Galveston County Daily News reported Monday that 43 Kemp's ridley sea turtles have been found stranded in Texas this year. That includes 19 discovered since early April, when turtle nesting season began.
Federal experts define a stranded turtle as one that washes ashore, dead or alive, or is found floating dead or alive -- generally very weak. All of the stranded turtles found this year in Texas were dead.
Texas in 2015 had 16 reported strandings, compared to 18 the prior year.
Turtle expert Donna Shaver with the National Park Service says most of the time you can't tell why a turtle became stranded.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
