Winter is upon us, kind of. One week it’s warm and humid, the next week brings high winds and frigid temperatures. When the water temperature drops, sea turtles are at risk to become cold-stunned. Since these flippered sea creatures are reptiles they depend on their surroundings to maintain their body heat. Last week the water temperature dropped down to 38 degrees; YIKES! If the water temperature drops below 50 degrees sea turtles are at risk to be cold-stunned, so the drop to 38 degrees last week was quite a shock to the animals.
Over the course of just two days 349 sea turtles were rescued along Cape Hatteras National Seashore and sent to rehab. Volunteers through NEST (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles) and employees of the National Park Service all contributed to the rescue efforts. The vast majority of cold-stunned turtles were juvenile Greens, but there was also one rescued Loggerhead and one Kimp’s Ridley. Thus far, all but five rescued turtles have survived.
So, how does a cold-stunned sea turtle look? They look dead. Once they become cold-stunned they are unable to move, so they drift in the water and sometimes wash onto beaches, often times showing no noticeable signs of life. When a cold-stunned sea turtle is found, the trained folks who help with rescues remove them from the water and then cover them in a towel.
Turtles need to be gradually warmed or they can go into shock, so during transport the volunteers and NPS employees are to use as little heat in their vehicles as possible. Since sea turtles need to surface to breathe, keeping them out of the water doesn’t harm them. And because the process of getting them to rehab is pretty quick, they aren’t at risk to starve or dehydrate. The main focus is getting them out of the water and warmed.
On Ocracoke, joint efforts helped rescue the cold critters. Tuesday’s bitterly cold temperature and strong winds yielded two (known) strandings on the sound side of the island, and 79 turtles were found on Hatteras Island by volunteers. Officer William Boyd with the North Carolina Marine Patrol, and National Park Service Law Enforcement Ranger Matthew Sitterson rescued two Green sea turtles Wednesday morning, and then later in the day Ocracoke residents reported more cold-stunned sea turtles. Ranger Sitterson went out to locate the reported turtles and get them off the beach. When it was all said and done, eight more turtles were gently tagged, and ferried to Hatteras by two Ocracoke volunteers. Two other volunteers met the turtles at the Hatteras Ferry Terminal and loaded the awesome eight into their truck and took them to rehab. All of the turtles rescued on and transported from Ocracoke survived.
Injured and sick turtles are taken to the STAR (Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation) Center, a wonderful facility that was founded and operated by NEST, boasts a large roster of volunteer who keep watch while the turtles are in their tanks. The volunteers are a very knowledgeable group of people who know all about sea turtles and the patients who are at the rehab facility. Not all of the turtles rescued last week are still at the STAR Center though. Those healthy enough to be released are being transported to Florida where the water is warm, which will allow them a better chance of survival. Others who have not passed a swim test are going to remain at the STAR Center, where rooms have been turned into makeshift rehab locations. An old rehab facility is also back in use accommodate the high number of sea turtles still needing to rest and be checked by veterinarians. Prior to this cold-stunning event, the record for most turtles ever brought to the STAR Center at one time was 20. It’s fair to say last week’s cold-stunning event and subsequent turtle rescues created a total record-breaker!
Extensive rescue efforts also occurred along the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Volunteers, National Park Service personnel, people with the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, and National Marine Fisheries Services employees found turtle after turtle after turtle, and their numbers quickly climbed. Over 500 cold-stunned turtles were found along the seashore, many of which went to rehab at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, and the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. The United States Coast Guard even joined in, taking loads and loads of turtles off the North Carolina coast to be released into the Gulf Stream.
Another cold-stunning event is likely to occur this week when temperatures drop into the low 40’s overnight Sunday and into Monday. If you see a cold-stunned sea turtle, even if you think it could be dead, call 252-216-6892; the National Park Service will be able to send someone out to get the turtle. You can also report sightings and strandings to any of the National Park Service Visitor Centers.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer through NEST, you can check out their website at www.nestonline.org. You will be able to read about volunteer opportunities, trainings, and other fun marine animal stuff.