24 endangered sea turtles recovering in Florida after cold stunning off Cape Cod

"The 24 endangered sea turtles arrived at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida, on Dec. 9, thanks to the nonprofit organization LightHawk. Last year, the center welcomed another bunch of cold-stunned turtles that were released into the Atlantic months later. They are expected to remain at the facility until spring, when they'll be released into the Atlantic Ocean to make their way back to New England, said Heather Barron, chief science officer and veterinarian at Loggerhead. She said the turtles suffered from a conditioned called cold stunning, which requires treatment with antibiotics, fluids, and nebulization."

"Cold stunning occurs in extremely frigid temperatures and causes the cold-blooded sea turtles to become lethargic and lose mobility, and Kemp's ridley, loggerhead, and green sea turtles are typically affected. The turtles migrate north in the summer and many get stuck while heading south in the hooked peninsula of Cape Cod, according to a New England Aquarium fact sheet. As the ocean temperatures drop, the turtles become lethargic, emaciated, and hypothermic. They begin washing ashore, where volunteers rescue them and take them to the sea turtle hospital."

"A number of turtles were sent to Florida to relieve overcrowding at the New England Aquarium, said Pam Bechtold Snyder, director of marketing and communications for the Boston facility. Most of those turtles were stranded during a strong westerly wind event on Nov. 28 and went through the triage process at the Boston facility, Snyder said. They were sent to Florida to make room for more turtles coming in from Cape Cod, she"

Twenty-four endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles arrived at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida, on Dec. 9 after transport by the nonprofit LightHawk. The turtles are receiving treatment for frostbite, pneumonia, abrasions, and cold-stunning with antibiotics, fluids, and nebulization. They are expected to remain at the facility until spring and then be released into the Atlantic Ocean to return to New England. Cold-stunning causes lethargy and loss of mobility in cold-blooded turtles during frigid temperatures and commonly affects Kemp's ridley, loggerhead, and green sea turtles. Many turtles become trapped in the Cape Cod peninsula while migrating south and wash ashore, where volunteers rescue them and bring them to rehabilitation centers. Several turtles were sent to Florida to relieve overcrowding at the New England Aquarium after a strong westerly wind event.

Read at Boston.com