More than 100 cold-stunned sea turtles washed ashore in Cape Hatteras this week. Volunteers and seashore biologists rescued the turtles, taking many of them in for rehabilitation.
Turtles become cold-stunned, or lethargic, when temperatures plummet, and the turtle's body temperature synchronizes with their surroundings, according to experts.
"They can struggle to lift their heads above water to breathe, risking drowning," Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials say.
The sea turtles found along the shoreline this week were between Bodie Island and Ocracoke, and a majority of them went to the STAR center at the NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island for rehabilitation.
Wind naturally carries cold-stunned turtles to shore, where they can be rescued in shallow waters. Volunteers and seashore biologists monitor the shorelines for the turtles and take them to the STAR center.
"A BIG thank you to STAR Center staff and numerous N.E.S.T. (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles) volunteers for dedicating their time (and braving the cold)!" the Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted on Facebook.
If you see a turtle, whether cold-stunned, nesting, alive, dead or entangled, you're asked to call 252-216-6892 to report the sighting.