Six Cold-Stunned Turtles Flown to Tampa for Critical Care at The Florida Aquarium

December 4, 2024

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Apollo Beach, FL (December 5, 2024) – Six endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are starting their journey to recovery today at The Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center in Apollo Beach. Rescued from the cold waters off the Massachusetts coast, these turtles are receiving life-saving care after being incapacitated by cold-stunning.

The recent cold snap has impacted more than people, it’s also taking a toll on marine life, including vulnerable sea turtles. The National Marine Life Center and New England Aquarium in Massachusetts recently rescued and triaged 33 turtles suffering from dangerously low body temperatures. To ensure these turtles receive the care they need, they are being flown to facilities across the country, including The Florida Aquarium, as well as centers in Georgia and Orlando.

Last night, the nonprofit organization Turtles Fly Too transported the six turtles to Tampa International Airport, where they were transferred into the hands of The Florida Aquarium’s expert sea turtle biologists.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO AND PHOTOS OF THE TURTLES ARRIVING IN TAMPA LAST NIGHT
Courtesy: The Florida Aquarium

Cold-stunning season typically begins this time of year, as sea turtles in the Northeast are exposed to prolonged cold water temperatures, leading to immobility and other life-threatening conditions. These turtles are often found floating or stranded on the beach and may also be suffering from secondary medical issues, such as malnutrition, bone infections, bacterial infections, or injuries.

Today the six rescued turtles will undergo comprehensive health exams at The Florida Aquarium to assess their condition and develop tailored treatment plans for each turtle.

The rehabilitation of cold-stunned turtles typically requires two to four months of intensive care, though in some cases, it may extend to six months or even a year before the turtles are healthy enough to return to the wild.

Due to the impacts of recent hurricanes, right now the Aquarium is the only sea turtle rehabilitation center that’s fully operational on the west coast of the state. Opened in 2019, The Florida Aquarium’s $4.1 million Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to care for rescued turtles like these. The 19,000-square-foot facility includes several rehabilitation pools, featuring one of the state’s deepest turtle dive pools with an observation window, where turtles can undergo buoyancy testing, swim conditioning and food trials before being cleared to return home to the ocean.

All sea turtle rehabilitation work conducted by The Florida Aquarium is done with the approval of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) under conditions not harmful to marine turtles and authorized under conservation activities pursuant to FWC MTP-24-179.