MARATHON, Fla. – More than two dozen critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles arrived in the subtropical Florida Keys early Tuesday evening to warm up and receive treatment after suffering “cold stunning” in waters off New England.
Found stranded by the condition, the 25 turtles were rescued and subsequently flown to Florida Keys Marathon International Airport, arriving Tuesday afternoon in banana boxes from a temporary holding center at the New England Aquarium.
“Because of global warming, the turtles remain in the bay off Cape Cod longer than normal and when severe cold weather suddenly moves in, the little turtles get trapped,” said Turtle Hospital manager Bette Zirkelbach. “Fortunately, there are teams of volunteers that patrol the beaches there to rescue as many turtles as possible.”
And just like northern tourists who come to Florida to warm up during the winter, the turtles are hoping to recover in warmer water in outdoor tanks at the Turtle Hospital.
“Cold stunning” is a hypothermic reaction that occurs when sea turtles are exposed to cold water for a prolonged time. It typically causes them to stop eating and swimming, Zirkelbach explained.
“Sea turtles are ectothermic,” she said. “They take on the temperature of the air and the water surrounding them, because they are unable to regulate their own body temperature.
“Anything below 50 degrees Fahrenheit can become a mortality event for a sea turtle,” she added.
Zirkelbach said the rescue, transportation to the Keys, rehabilitation and release is a result of cooperative actions by many entities and people.
“It’s a massive effort combined with many organizations that rescue these turtles right at the site,” she said. “There’s an incredible organization, ‘Lighthawk,’ where volunteer pilots fly these turtles down to warmer places.”
The pilots donate their aircraft, fuel and time.
After arrival at the Turtle Hospital, the “cold-stunned” turtles are tested to discover whether they have pneumonia, infections or other ailments, with their treatment and rehabilitation period determined by test results.
Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are the most endangered of all sea turtle species, Zirkelbach said.
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