Latest news with #SeaTurtleHospital
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Returning home: 31 endangered sea turtles rehabilitated, released in North Carolina after cold-stunning season
FORT FISHER, N.C. – From stunned to splashing around, crowds of people cheered as groups of rehabilitated sea turtles crawled their way off a windy North Carolina beach Monday and back home to the Atlantic Ocean. One by one, these Kemp's ridley sea turtles were taken by the tide after months of care facilitated by the New England Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital. Every year, a certain number of these critically endangered sea turtles are unable to keep up with rapidly changing water temperatures and become hypothermic. The turtles are unable to move and wash up, becoming stranded on beaches in a phenomenon known as "cold-stunning." Watch: Cold-stunned Iguana Tumbles From Miami Tree During Arctic Blast Volunteers from Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary patrol local beaches looking for beached turtles to bring to the Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, Massachusetts. The aquarium said more than 500 live turtles came through its doors this past cold-stunning season, which began in November 2024 and continued into January 2025. Of the 31 turtles that were released Monday, 25 were from the Quincy facility, and six others were driven down from the New York Marine Rescue Center on New York's Long Island. "It is always incredible to watch these turtles become healthy again after being cold-stunned," said Sammi Chaves, a Rescue Biologist at the New England Aquarium. "The progress they make from when they first arrive at the New England Aquarium all the way to when they are released on the beach is amazing and really proves how resilient these animals are." Dozens Of Sea Turtles Rescued From Florida Beaches Following Historic Winter Blast The director of the rescue and rehabilitation program, Adam Kennedy, said in a news release that the number of sea turtle strandings has increased over the past decade. The turtles were driven in temperature-controlled vehicles down to North Carolina, where water temperatures are now warm enough for the marine reptiles. Community members and wildlife enthusiasts gathered along the beach to cheer on and encourage the turtles as they made their way back into the Atlantic. The aquarium said 42 more turtles will be released off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the summer, once the waters of Nantucket Sound have article source: Returning home: 31 endangered sea turtles rehabilitated, released in North Carolina after cold-stunning season
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctors at Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Lab saw highest influx of sea turtles in January
The Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Lab in south Saint Augustine treated almost 120 turtles in January alone. Normally, they treat only about 100 turtles during the entire year. This influx was caused by the extreme cold and winter storm earlier in January. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Action News Jax Shanila Kabir spoke to doctors at the Sea Turtle Hospital who said they need beachgoers to continue looking out for turtles washed along the shore because that means they need medical care. READ: UF Sea Turtle Hospital needs donations after helping over 100 cold-stunned sea turtles Hospital Manager Devon Ramia said with this recent cold stunning event, the doctors went into 'emergency mode' while still taking care of their current patients. 'Florida is a hotspot for our sea turtles. It's our biggest nesting state,' said Ramia. She adds doctors at the Hospital at UF Whitney Lab said that they have burned through a lot of their medical supplies while treating 30 plus sea turtles in a few days. Typically, they usually average just a few per week. This is because they said the water temperature was in the 40s this past week. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'Unfortunately, what happens is the sea turtles go into a hypothermic state. They basically float at the surface and with those strong currents, they'll push them all in,' said Ramia. So far, all the sea turtles have survived after being treated and released. Although the weather is now warmer, we are still in the middle of winter; the sea turtle hospital managers ask if you find a sea turtle washed up on the beach that you report it. 'Sea turtles can look dead although they're not. They're very still, and they don't thrash around when they've washed ashore. They're weightless in water so when they're onshore, it's not their first choice,' Program Manager Catherine Eastman said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Managers said treating more than 100 turtles during a three-day time span was only made possible by the help of 30 volunteers on top of their medical personnel. They ask people to continue donating to the hospital, whether it be financial donations or supplies like towels and Dawn soap. Click here to access the hospital's Amazon Wishlist. Donations can be dropped off at the hospital located at 9505 North Oceanshore Boulevard. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] You can drop off donations in person between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends. Click here to learn how you can help by sponsoring a turtle. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UF Sea Turtle Hospital needs donations after helping over 100 cold-stunned sea turtles
The Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Lab needs donations after helping 119 cold-stunned sea turtles in three days. Between Jan. 22 and 24, those turtles were triaged and transferred from the hospital. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Throughout the weekend, 15 more were admitted. In past years, the hospital treated about 100 sea turtles annually. According to a social media post, the hospital has used most of its medical supplies and met the annual budget. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The Sea Turtle Hospital at UF Whitney Lab said it desperately needs the following items: Glucose testing strips and syringes (found on Amazon Wishlist) Landry detergent Dawn dish soap Sponges Garbage bags; both large and kitchen-size Clorox cleaning wipes Click here to access the Amazon Wishlist. Donations can be dropped off at the hospital located at 9505 North Oceanshore Boulevard. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] You can drop them off between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends. Click here to learn how you can help by sponsoring a turtle. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
