SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) - Twenty sea turtles rescued from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have been flown to Florida, where they are being cared for at rehabilitation centers.

The turtles were sent to Sarasota, Clearwater and Tampa this week.

Meghan Calhoun, a spokeswoman for the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, says 167 more turtles remain at the Louisiana facility, where they are being brought back to health.

Calhoun said environmental agencies have been searching daily for distressed animals. She said the turtles have been found in oil so thick all rescuers see is "a hump in the oil."

The sea turtles will eventually be released back into the wild.