More than 1,000 sea turtles were rescued after becoming “cold stunned” by the plunging temperatures—and even snow—that hit Florida in January.
“The extended cold snap had turned hundreds of sea turtles into lethargic unmoving buoyant masses that were at the mercy of the waves and tides all along the Panhandle,” said the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Volunteers and wildlife experts headed to St. Joseph Peninsula to find the helpless turtles in the water and on the beach. From there, the heavy turtles were floated by kayak, loaded onto boats, carried by hand up the beach and loaded into vehicles. Then, they were transported to the Gulf World Marine Institute for recovery. Once they’re healthy again, they’ll be returned to their home in the water.
The USFWS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and many volunteers were led by the local US Geological Survey (USGS) turtle team to tackle the situation.
“The extraordinary circumstances of this stranding event could have easily become a tragedy to the Panhandle green sea turtle population if not for the community and the conservation organizations coming together to fight for these endangered species that call our beautiful waters home,” said the USFWS.
NATIONAL PARK NEWS
