52 sea turtles experiencing 'cold stun' in New England flown to rehab in Florida

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Fifty-two endangered Kemp sea turtles suffering from “cold torpor” are recovering at four facilities in Florida after a private plane flight from the New England Aquarium in Massachusetts.

The turtles arrived in Tampa on Tuesday and 16 were sent to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, officials said in a news release. All the turtles experienced a condition known as cold torpor from the frigid waters of New England.

The other turtles were taken to the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, the Florida Aquarium in Tampa and the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Jupiter.

“This occurs regularly every winter and we have been participating in the ongoing care of these turtles since 2016,” said Shelly Marquardt, veterinarian at the Clearwater facility. “We know their time in rehabilitation here makes a difference to the future of this endangered species, and we are proud to contribute to their conservation efforts.”

Sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles and adapt to the temperature of their environment. During prolonged exposure to frigid water temperatures, their circulation slows down and the turtles can no longer swim or function properly.

The turtles will continue to recuperate at the aquarium, where guests are welcome to come and watch their journey. Ultimately, the turtles will be returned to their natural habitat.

Florida saw a record number of sea turtle nests this year. Preliminary state statistics show more than 133,840 hawksbill turtle nests, breaking a record set in 2016. The same goes for green turtles, with the estimate of at least 76,500 nests well above the previous 2017 limit.

High numbers of sea turtle nests have also been reported in South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia, although not all records have been set as in Florida.