Old Man Winter put the Lone Star State in a deep freeze last week, and many of us were staying home and bundling up.
When the arctic front got to South Padre Island Wednesday, the water temperatures tanked and our Texas sea turtles were suddenly facing life and death.
Once the waters fell below 50 degrees, Sea Turtle Inc. CEO Wendy Knight knew her beloved area turtles were entering a paralyzed state, also known as being cold stunned by the frigid waters.
Turtles lose their ability to lift their necks to breathe and swim, then eventually float to the top of the water in a catatonic state unless area volunteers pluck them from the seas and get them to warmer conditions.
She put out an emergency alert on social media for all area residents and called in all of her volunteers to get ahead of the dangerous situation.
“We had boats on the water and volunteers on patrol within hours of the waters reaching below the threshold,” said Knight.
By Wednesday night, mariners and recreational boaters alike had already collected over 750 turtles. The Sea Turtle Inc. facility was so overrun with turtles stacked shell to shell, newly rescued turtles had to be rerouted down the road to the UTRGV Coastal Studies Laboratory for safekeeping and rehabilitation.
After over two days of plucking nearly a thousand turtles from the frigid seas, Sea Turtle Inc. volunteer Joe Blonigen was filled with hope midday Thursday when the coastal waterways were clear of struggling breach turtles.
“Finally, the water temperature seems to be going up. It’s 55 degrees, which is great. We didn’t see any more turtles, which is also good, so we are going to call it a day,” said Blonigen.
Meanwhile, all they could do back at Sea Turtle Inc. and the Marine Lab was to keep the turtles comfortable and await signs of life.
At first light Friday morning, life came and in abundance. The staff was shell-shocked when nearly every flippered friend was on the move.
Now that they were healthy again and the water temperatures were on the rise, within hours, a massive release was organized with sea turtle lovers as far as the eye could see.
The beloved turtles that so many fought so hard for were finally going home!
Dr. Amy Bonka, the chief conservation officer at Sea Turtle Inc., lead her team of volunteers through the proper handling and release procedures. “You are going to get out into that water, you’re going to take your turtle, you are going to set it in the water, facing the water, let it go," she said.
Over two hours, volunteers unloaded nearly 900 turtles, with some weighting over 100 pounds. The waves were calling them home and every step closer to the gulf, the turtles eagerly flapped with unbridled joy!
Nose down, flippers perched each gleefully cleared the shoreline and flew out to sea while the crowds roared with excitement. For it was their triumph, too.
Crying tears of joy, Sea Turtle Inc. volunteer, Molly Hartshorn added: “This is the best day of my life. I’ve loved sea turtles since I was a little girl.”
With so many healthy sea turtles returning to the sea, this release marked the most successful cold stun event in Sea Turtle Inc. history.
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