It Doesn't Take Much Cold To Stun Sea Turtle - National Parks Traveler

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Sea turtles are released back into the Gulf of Mexico after recovering from being stunned by cold water/NPS

It takes seemingly little cold to stun a sea turtle. For humans, 50 degrees is chilly, but for the thousands of sea turtles that were stunned along the Gulf Coast of Texas the past two weeks, it can be deadly.

"Turtles begin to become lethargic and experience other symptoms of cold stunning when water temperatures reach and fall below 50 degrees," Dustin Baker, a ranger at Padre Island National Seashore, wrote in an email. "After turtles are brought to the park, they are brought into indoor spaces varying from 60 to 72 degrees. Because sea turtles are reptiles and are ectothermic (cold blooded), they gradually warm to the temperature of their new environment."

More than 11,500 sea turtles were stunned, and an undetermined number killed, by the cold snap. The key for those who rescued the stunned turtles is to get to them as soon as possible. That's because stunned turtles are unable to swim.

"They float up to the surface and become vulnerable to boat strikes or wash ashore and become stranded. If not rescued quickly, these defenseless animals often die of shock, predation, or trauma due to boat strike," the national seashore's website notes.

Additionally, "Most of the cold stunned sea turtles that the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery rescues are found in inshore waters and shorelines along the bays and inlets of the Laguna Madre, which borders the park to the west. The shallow water here can change temperature rapidly, especially when a strong cold front passes through the area. As a result, sea turtles swimming in those waters may not have enough time to navigate out of Laguna Madre and into the deeper, warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico before becoming cold stunned."

Once turtles have warmed up, they are released back into the ocean as long as the waters aren't too cold. "If they have other illnesses or injuries, they can rehabilitate until they are ready for release," the park website notes.

You can watch some turtles being released back into the gulf in this short video on the national seashore's Facebook page.

The Link Lonk


February 28, 2021 at 03:08PM
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It Doesn't Take Much Cold To Stun Sea Turtle - National Parks Traveler

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