Following the recent freezing temperatures in our area, cold-stunned sea turtle patients are being brought to East Coast Zoological Foundation’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center at Brevard Zoo. Made up of green sea turtles, this group mainly came in from Mosquito Lagoon, where water temperatures dropped along with the icy air temperatures.

Like other reptiles, sea turtles are cold-blooded animals that rely on outside heat sources to maintain their body temperature. When exposed to unusually cold water temperatures for a long time they will have a hypothermic reaction that may cause a lower heart rate, decreased circulation and lethargy, followed by shock, pneumonia and, sometimes, death.

We expect more cold-stunned sea turtles to be found in the coming days. Please, do not attempt to warm these sea turtles on your own. Cold-stunned sea turtles need specialized care and may be experiencing illnesses or injuries beyond the cold-stunning. If you’re in Brevard County, please contact the Sea Turtle Preservation Society at 321-206-0646 or Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 1-888-404-FWCC for further instructions. 

Sea turtles in inland waterways are especially susceptible to cold stunning because water temperatures fluctuate more quickly in these shallow areas.

Noting the expected cold temperatures, our veterinary team prepared in advance for this influx by stockpiling items from medical supplies to bins to hold sea turtles in as they slowly came back to a normal temperature. This puts a strain on our supply and staffing budget.

As a federal and state permitted Rehabilitation Center, we are required to carefully log every patient that arrives to our facility and the care they need to receive – a heavy lift with this number of patients and more expected to come in.

Our staff and volunteers will care for these turtles until water temperatures warm to a better level for these patients.