Sea Of Cold Stunned Sea Turtles Saved, Rehabilitated On Long Island

RIVERHEAD, NY — A sea of critical cold stunned seat turtles that have stranded throughout the Northeast have been rescued by a Riverhead organization in recent days.

The New York Marine Rescue Center has been rescuing and admitting critical cold stunned sea turtles that have stranded across Long Island since mid-November, the organization's representatives said.

Every winter, sea turtles strand due to cold stunning, a phenomenon similar to hypothermia, NYMRC said.

"This year the season started on November 14, when an Atlantic green sea turtle was found stranded in Southampton and was transported to NYMRC for critical care. Since then, an additional 21 turtles have stranded, including the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Many of the turtles have been found by trained citizen scientists who support NYMRC in the field to help decrease response time and increase survival of stranded turtles, the group said.

In addition to saving New York’s sea turtles, NYMRC has been requested by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration to help by admitting sea turtles from network partners in Massachusetts, which responds to hundreds of sea turtles every year, representatives of the group said.

On December 7, three species of sea turtles, Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead, and green, were flown by Turtles Fly Too from Massachusetts to Long Island and admitted to NYMRC. The transport of turtles is not the first time that NYMRC has helped their partners; the mission has become a yearly request from the network due to the vast size of NYMRC’s facility, the group said.

Since 2018, NYMRC has responded to nearly 300 sea turtles that have stranded locally as well as accepted over 100 turtles from Massachusetts, the group added.

Cold stunning is similar to hypothermia for sea turtles, and occurs when sea turtles are unable to migrate to warmer water before local water temperatures drop drastically and sea turtles become lethargic and pushed to shore by strong winds, NYMRC said.

The sea turtles are then brought to the NYMRC facility for an initial assessment and exam. Over the course of five days, NYMRC’s rescue team slowly raises the turtle’s internal temperature to no more than 2 to 4 °C a day, representatives said.

Once at optimal temperature, turtles are placed in larger pools with fellow tank mates and food is introduced. However, it is still a long road of antibiotics and treatments ahead for the turtles, experts added. The first five days are the most critical for sea turtles. The animal care staff closely monitor the sea turtles during that time. Care of the critical sea turtles is extensive and requires staff to be extra attentive and hands on, NYMRC said.

Cold stunned sea turtles stay at the NYMRC for about 242 days, typically being released in late July and early August. Many of these turtles are equipped with a satellite tag to monitor post-release movement behavior, NYMRC said.

"Cold stun season is a network issue with turtles stranding from Massachusetts down to Virginia. NYMRC is eager to help New York turtles as well as support the larger stranding network, all for the preservation and conservation of sea turtles. We ask if you find a sea turtle to call us immediately for the longer these animals remain exposed to the harsh elements the less likely they will survive," Maxine Montello, rescue program director at the NYMRC, said.

The New York Marine Rescue Center, formerly the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, is a rescue and rehabilitation organization that promotes marine conservation. Its mission is to preserve and protect the marine environment through conservation efforts including rescue, rehabilitation, education, and research.

If you find a stranded sea turtle, call 631-369-9840.