SLAMORADA, Fla. — A green sea turtle, rehabilitated at the Florida Keys’ Turtle Hospital after being rescued Feb. 3 suffering from “cold stunning,” was released Thursday into Florida Bay off Islamorada.
“Groundhog,” named for the day before her rescue, was discovered in distress during a record cold spell that resulted in unusually frigid waters in the typically balmy Upper Keys. The reptile was found floating and lethargic — symptoms of the hypothermic reaction called cold stunning, which occurs when sea turtles are exposed to cold water for a prolonged time — and transported to the Turtle Hospital for treatment.
“Groundhog was one of the first sea turtles to be rescued in the Florida Keys due to a ‘cold-stunning’ event, and the very first to be released today,” said Bette Zirkelbach (pronounced BETTY ZIR-kull-back), manager of the world’s first state-licensed veterinary center dedicated solely to treating sea turtles.
“We warmed her up, we treated her with fluids {and} a broad-spectrum antibiotic,” Zirkelbach added.
She and other hospital staff members released the nearly 50-pound female at Founders Park Beach in Islamorada. Spectators cheered as Groundhog crawled into the shallow water and started swimming away from shore.
“Groundhog was a quick recovery,” said Zirkelbach. “She was probably in good health when she was cold-stunned, good body weight and she was good to go home today.”
Seven other cold-stunned turtles were rescued in the Keys during the same weather event, some with secondary challenges such as boat-strike wounds or the tumor-causing disease fibropapillomatosis, and are still recovering at the Turtle Hospital.
The facility is currently celebrating its 40th year of rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles and returning them to their ocean home.
The National Weather Service is forecasting another cold front to move through the Florida Keys late Sunday, but Zirkelbach said area waters have warmed up and she doesn’t anticipate a repeat cold-stunning event.
The Turtle Hospital opened in September of 1986 and has since treated and released more than 3,000 injured sea turtles and assisted scores of hatchlings gone astray after exiting their nests.
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