N.C. Wildlife helps rescue turtles “stunned” by recent cold snap

CAPE HATTERAS (WWAY) —  A cold front that moved through North Carolina in late November created cold-water conditions that led to twelve smaller sea turtles becoming cold-stunned in Pamlico Sound.

The turtles – greens, Kemps’ ridleys, and one hawksbill – were pushed by the wind onto the sound-side shoreline of Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands, where they were found by patrollers from the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles, a group of volunteers, and staff from Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

All of the responders were working under authorization from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), who help protect sea turtles in the northern Outer Banks.

The turtles were taken to the STAR Center at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island, where they are being rehabilitated.

Anna Gurney with NCWRC described cold-stunning as a condition similar to hypothermia, which sea turtles often develop during the winter months.

She explained that North Carolina estuaries provide excellent foraging habitat for juvenile sea turtles.

However, shallow, clear waters and abundant seagrass beds can sometimes create unsuitable conditions for sea turtles.

These waters can suddenly drop in temperature over the course of a single day, and remaining sea turtles may become hypothermic or cold-stunned, making them legthargic and float at the surface of the water.

She shared an update from the STAR vet team that all of the turtles are doing well, and will be released as soon as they are deemed healthy.

Once the turtles are able to survive in the wild again, NCWRC biologists will arrange for their release.