WILMINGTON, N.C. — Over 200 cold-stunned sea turtles have been received at the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation Center, or STAR Center.

What You Need To Know

  •  The STAR Center has received over 200 turtles cold-stunned

  • The center rehabilitates endangered sea turtles 

  •  The turtles are being evaluated before release to the Gulf stream

Amber Hitt is the manager at STAR Center and says starting in November of each year until March, they can expect anywhere from 35 to 600 cold-stunned sea turtles.

“Their body temperature drops too quickly, and they can’t regulate it fast enough so their body reacts to that negatively and the impact that we see are similar to signs and symptoms that we would see of hypothermia patients,” Hitt said.

Volunteers from Network for Endangered Sea Turtles brought in several turtles to rest and recover. Experts say the first 24-hours of treatment is critical for their survival. 

After working several cold-stun seasons, Hitt says she’s still amazed at how resilient sea turtles can be.

“I think I’m going into my sixth or seventh year here at our facility. It’s always very rewarding," Hitt said. "It’s a little nerve-racking because you never know what you’re going to get season to season, but it is never ceases to amaze me how fast they bounce back.” 

Each turtle is evaluated for illness  and injury, and even swim tested to make sure they are ready for release. 

“We go through a complete exam with them, look in their eyes, nose, mouth, make sure that everything‘s ok. We examine their flippers to make sure that there’s no lesions or abrasions or injury," Hitt said.

Although many successfully recover, the reality is some just don’t make it

This season, 28 died after arriving. Hitt says particularly those with the lowest body temperatures or large wounds have the hardest time recovering.

A lot can be learned from recovery about turtle health and migration, but they can also help us understand more about the health of our oceans.

“They are incredible at being ocean health indicators so we know if our ocean is thriving or if it’s failing in certain areas," Hitt said. "So, the ones that are strong enough to make it, the ones that do rehab and are successful at getting through, it’s the best part of this job is releasing them back out to the wild.”

Thirteen sea turtles have been transferred to other facilities, and 10 have already been released into the Gulf Stream this season. Hitt says if you see a turtle that might be stranded, call the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST) hotline at 252-441-8622.