Twelve cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles made their way to Florida yesterday, landing at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) in a collaborative effort to save the lives of the critically endangered sea turtles.
Transported from the New England Aquarium (NEAQ) facility in Massachusetts, the turtles were severely impacted by the frigid waters of New England. Each year hundreds of sea turtles become vulnerable to colder temperatures in Cape Cod Bay, where they become stranded on the beaches and need medical attention.
As cold-blooded reptiles, sea turtles rely on their environment to regulate their body temperatures. When water temperatures drop, their body temperature decreases causing hypothermia and severe debilitation, metabolism slows down, and they lose the ability to feed or swim.
The 12 turtles were part of a group of 32 cold-stunned sea turtles flown in a private jet with Turtles Fly Too. CMA, along with other rehabilitation facilities in Florida, including Turtle Hospital in Marathon, FL, will provide the necessary care and support for their recovery.
“We’ve been able to participate in the care of these sea turtles almost every winter since 2016,” said Dr. Shelly Marquardt, vice president animal and environmental health and veterinarian for CMA. “We know that their time in rehabilitation here makes a difference for the future of this endangered species, and we are proud to be able to contribute to their conservation efforts,” she said.
This year, Leslie Weinstein, President of Turtles Fly Too, dedicated this transport mission in memory of family friend, Bonnie Freedman, who passed away at age 12 of T-cell leukemia. The family has founded Stop Children's Cancer which raises money for children's cancer research at University of Florida.
Due to the large number of turtles affected by these cold-stun events, rehabilitation facilities in the northeast frequently collaborate with other facilities to transfer stable patients. This allows facilities like New England Aquarium to continue to treat cold-stunned turtles during their most critical period.
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