Turtles being victims for the oilspill in the Mexico gulf?

Yesterday the 3th of May, The Guardian has a longer article that's about the fact that the death of turtles are get higher now during the Deepwater Horizon-oilspill. When it was published already 31 turtles had been found dead on the beaches in the area. The area stretches for approx 26 miles of beaches.

In the area there are several species of turtles, among them the Loggerhead, the leatherback
and the Kemp's ridley turtle. The whole population of the Kemp's Ridley lives along the gulf of Mexico and is the most critically endangered turtle in the world. As the main habitat for the Kemp's Ridley is along shallow sand and mud shores and eustaries it can be especially in danger for the oilspill.

So far there has not been any clear evidence that the turtles are victims for the oil, but the big number of turtles dead so quickly in the area close to the oilspill makes it probably that the oil is the reason for their death.

The dead turtles will be examined at the Institute of Sea Mammal Studies in Gulfport, an institute that specialises in the study and treatment of marine mammals like whales and turtles, along with other marine life. Among the things they will check at the insitute is if the turtles have got problems with their respiratory from inhaling oil fumes or if they have consumed food contiminated with oilk.

A team of vets would be looking to see if the animals had respiratory problems associated with inhaling oil fumes, or had consumed fish contaminated with oil.. There will also be taken samples from them to check if they are contaminated with oil.

I'm not optimistic but now I feel all I can do is cross my fingers and hope it's will be better for the wildlife than I expect