BALTIMORE — The National Aquarium is stepping in to help sea turtles recover from a life-threatening condition called cold stun before returning them to the sea.
Kai, a turtle at the aquarium, was rescued after cold stun left her unable to return to the open ocean. While turtles like Kai might have a tough shell, it offers no blanket to tuck in when temperatures drop, leaving them susceptible to the condition in the wild.
Cold stun is similar to hypothermia. Habitat loss and wider swings in water temperature force turtles to swim farther for a livable environment, making it harder for them to reach safe waters when temperatures drop.
National Aquarium rescues endangered sea turtles suffering from cold stun to help them return to sea
Malia Hale is the director of animal rescue for the aquarium.
"They're really a fun species and you feel good about rehabilitating them," Hale said.
Hale said young Kemp's ridley and green sea turtles stay at the aquarium's sea turtle recovery pools while they recover.
"They start losing their ability to regulate their buoyancy, they start floating toward the surface, they're subjected to predators. We had two turtles this year where we took shark teeth out of their shells," Hale said.
The condition leaves turtles vulnerable to boats, rocks, and other dangers.
"They can't move as fast, they can't necessarily dive down," Hale said.
Each winter, the Audubon Society of Cape Cod combs the shores to take in cold-stunned turtles that wash up. Hale said anywhere from 500 to 1,000 sea turtles wash up in Cape Cod alone.
"They just simply don't have the bandwidth to take that many turtles," Hale said.
From there, the National Aquarium takes in what they can, treating the turtles for diseases or wounds suffered in the wild. During feeding time at the recovery pools, staff monitor the animals' progress.
A network of organizations works together to save the vital ocean species.
"The Kemp's ridley sea turtles that we rehabilitate here are the most critically endangered sea turtles species," Hale said.
The public can also help the turtles reach safe waters.
"They can volunteer! Here in Baltimore we have volunteers that are the backbone of rehabilitation for animal rescue at the aquarium," Hale said.
To learn more about how you can help sea turtles, click here.
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