By Karen Sota

We haven’t seen a lot of activity with local cold-stuns, but any critter that hasn’t made tracks out of Dodge by now is living on the edge. The water and air temps have dropped way below sea turtle comfy. All it takes is a few consecutive days of exposure to cold air and water for these cold-blooded reptiles to get themselves in a heap of trouble.

Turtles still hanging around the inshore waters might be here for several reasons. The long, warm fall meant there was still plenty of good eating, and they were so engaged in lunch that they ignored the cues that the waters were cooling. Or this might be their first year in from their nursery grounds in the Sargasso Sea. There’s something to be said for experience, even if you’re a sea turtle. Sometimes they are already debilitated by another event and just don’t have the strength to migrate. In any case cold-stunning is a life-threatening condition and the little guys are usually the first to suffer.

We admit frigid turtles in all sorts of body conditions. Most of them have been battered by the wind, surf and sand and have obvious damage, especially to their unprotected areas like flippers and eyes. They are so cold they cannot move, so they just lie where they strand, subject not only to the elements but also predators like gulls and canines. They often come with a heavy load of barnacles and algae, neither of which is a good look for a sea turtle.

Treatment begins with a slow warm-up in one of two rooms where we can regulate the temperature to prevent sending them into shock. This can take several days, during which time they are pretty much just hanging out defrosting and being treated with fluids and cautionary antibiotics. Once we feel they can tolerate at least some water we introduce food. Getting a cold-stun to begin eating again can be difficult. Our staff has no hesitation about literally crawling along the floor from tank to tank, dangling fish, shrimp and squid from feeders. Or sitting with a turtle for hours trying to convince it to at least try a bite.

Cold-stunning takes a toll on the inside too, damaging organs and bones. It’s not unusual for a turtle that seems to be recovering quite nicely to suddenly start rasping with pneumonia or quit moving a flipper because of bone lesions. Some of our patients have spent years in rehab after developing complications. Recently released greens Rosemary and Belle were two examples. Thankfully almost every cold-stun eventually goes home.

So, what do you do if you see a turtle that has washed up on the beach or in our marshy areas or is in the water floating motionlessly? First, don’t assume it is dead. They literally can’t move, maybe not even blink. Whether the turtle is big or small immediately call our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at: 910-470-2880. If she is not available, call the hospital during operating hours: 910-329-0222. If the turtle is below the high tide line and in danger of washing out, move it above the high tide line if you can do so safely. Ideally you should remain with the turtle until our trained volunteers arrive to retrieve it. If that is not possible find a way to indicate the location of the turtle on the beach by drawing large arrows in the sand or placing beach debris nearby. The State of NC hotline for stranded, sick and injured turtles is 252-241-7367. The state number picks up 24/7. All conservation work for endangered sea turtles at KBSTRRC and on Topsail Island is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 22ST05.

We are officially closed to the public for the year. Depending on our patient load we may be able to open for tours sporadically after the first of the year. Keep an eye on the Visit page of our website  for any updates Our gift shop is open year-round online so you can still find all kinds of cool turtle-themed merchandise, much of it exclusive to us. And if you’re looking for something for those impossible-to-buy-for relatives and friends, consider adopting one of our patients.

By Karen Sota

The cold-stuns are here. Every year, as soon as the holidays roll around, we know that any number of the turtles that strand along Cape Cod will be headed our way. On December 2nd fifteen defrosted critters reached the finish line at our hospital. It was a long and complicated journey, taking the efforts of a very experienced group of “turtle travel agents.” Initially rescued by the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary they were triaged at the New England Aquarium and the National Marine Life Center. After receiving their seat assignments (banana boxes for all) and boarding passes they were flown to North Carolina by Turtles Fly Too, thanks to arrangements made by NOAA Fisheries New England/Mid Atlantic. Once on the ground in Beaufort, NC they headed down the road to CMAST (NC State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology in Morehead City) where they were checked over by their vets and biologists from NCWRC. Finally, they arrived at our hospital late in the day on Friday. What a trip – literally.

We were ready for them. We advised Snooki, who is still enjoying her vacation in our therapy pool in Sick Bay, that she would be getting a lot of new roomies. Once the banana boxes were opened we found that we had 8 greens and 7 Kemp’s. That’s really an unusual mix for us. In previous years it’s been all Kemp’s, every time. Apparently, this year the greens found something interesting enough in Cape Cod Bay that they decided to party with the Kemp’s until the curtain came down. In any case, all these little guys are adorable, especially tiny “Tulip” who weighs only I kg.

Our dedicated volunteers worked into the night, assigning names to each turtle and settling them into individual tanks where they have already begun their rehabilitation. And these are some of the best Crayola names of the year. We’re wondering if “Screamin’ Green” and “Banana Banana” are going to live up to their handles. Stay tuned for more information on some of the more “colorful” individuals and follow their progress on our social media sites.

We’re officially in cold stun season now so please BOLO for turtles in trouble. If you see a turtle that’s been injured, cold-stunned or stranded for any reason call our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at: 910-470-2880. If she is not available, you may call the hospital during operating hours: 910-329-0222. We will take the information and send trained volunteers to retrieve the turtle. The State of NC hotline for stranded, sick and injured turtles is 252-241-7367. The state number picks up 24/7. All conservation work for endangered sea turtles at KBSTRRC and on Topsail Island is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 22ST05.

You still have a few opportunities to visit us in 2022. We’re open for tours December 8, 14 and 17. Check the Visit page here on our website for times as they vary. And we still require ticket purchases in advance on our site. Our gift shop is jam-packed with all kinds of merchandise for turtle lovers, and of course you can adopt one of our patients for those impossible-to-buy-for relatives and friends. You can shop during those days without taking the tour.

Celebrate sea turtles all year long with our 2023 calendar! Featuring photos of current and recent patients, photos from the beach, and photos from behind the scenes in our sea turtle hospital, the calendar also includes fun facts and information about sea turtles. Click here to purchase.

 Karen Sota

Our extended late summer weather has finally turned on us. This year we were happy to have that extra month because it allowed us to complete our renovations in record time and re-open for tours through the end of the year. And it gave one little green who got his release papers late in the season the chance to go home while the waters were still turtle tolerable.

“Mac & Cheese” was a bit of a miracle, as turtles who are trapped and submerged in a net for long periods of time generally do not make it. After his near-death experience, with lots of TLC, a variety of meds and a really good appetite this little guy surprised us all with a quick turnaround. On a drizzly day, with a roaring ocean, volunteer Jason suited up for battle and carried Mac&Cheese out past the breakers where he shot off in search of a winter home.

A few weeks earlier we had admitted “Sasquatch Socks,” a juvenile loggerhead who was enjoying lunch near the Sea View Pier in North Topsail Beach. Unfortunately, lunch came with a side of not only a lot of marine debris but one very large stainless-steel hook and several small ones. Although being hooked is not generally a good thing in this case it may have saved his life. He had a moderate load of barnacles and a fair amount of edema, so he was clearly headed downhill.

Sasquatch Socks had a line coming from his mouth but the hook itself was not visible. It was obvious that he was going to need intervention by the vets at CMAST to locate and extract what was at the end of that line. Radiographs showed a large hook deep in his esophagus, along with several small hooks. Surgery was performed and the hooks were successfully extracted. Although that issue was resolved he will be overwintering with us because his bloodwork is nowhere near where it should be. After a day or two with a sore throat he turned into a ravenous eater. He gets a big bowl of fatty fish every day and that’s one of the key components for a successful rehab.

Fishing gear entanglement, like Sasquatch Socks, plus cold weather is why we rely on the sharp eyes of our locals and visitors. Cold-stun season has officially arrived, so we expect to be getting calls about the critters who didn’t catch the last train out of Dodge. If you see a turtle that’s been injured, cold-stunned or stranded for any reason call our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at: 910-470-2880. If she is not available, you may call the hospital during operating hours: 910-329-0222. We will take the information and send trained volunteers to retrieve the turtle. The State of NC hotline for stranded, sick and injured turtles is 252-241-7367. The state number picks up 24/7. All conservation work for endangered sea turtles at KBSTRRC and on Topsail Island is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 22ST05.

Tours Resume: We’ve opened to the public on a contracted tour schedule. Dates: November 25 and 26 and December 4, 8, 14 and 17. Check the Visit page here on our website for times, as they vary. And we still require ticket purchases in advance on our site. Our gift shop is jam-packed with all kinds of merchandise for turtle lovers, and of course you can adopt one of our patients for those impossible-to-buy-for relatives and friends. You can shop during those days without taking the tour.

By Karen Sota

With cooler weather and a major renovation project in Sea Turtle Bay rapidly approaching we needed to get our flippers in gear to make sure every patient cleared for take-off made it to the beach ASAP. On October 12th with a glorious Carolina blue sky and a friendly ocean we bid a fond farewell to our last graduates for 2022.

Three juvenile greens, Belle, Magenta and Jazzberry Jam were the first to crest the walkover and stroll the runway (with a little help from our staff) for a final photo ops and royal waves of their flippers to the large crowd of fans lining the beach. Belle had an especially long recovery, having been admitted in early 2020 as a very sick little girl. She subsequently developed osteoarthritis which takes years to resolve even with the best care and medication. But she made it. She leaves behind her often-times “tank mate” Rosemary who will miss her dearly. Well, maybe not. Belle did have a habit of stealing Rosie’s veggies at every opportunity. Magenta and Jazzberry Jam, both local rescues from the Cape Lookout area were also released. Magenta was cold- stunned and anemic but tripled her admission weight in the space of six months. Jazzy had a run in with a shark that left her with a very large wound on her neck. It was touch and go, or for a while ”don’t touch” as the wound was pretty gnarly. But with a lot of specialized care, including honey treatments she made a complete recovery.

Two Kemp’s, Maddie and Black Pearl were next to meet the crowd. Black Pearl, also from the Cape Lookout area was the victim of a boat strike. In addition to the usual meds, she was also given the honey treatment along with physical therapy on her neck and flippers to get her in tip-top shape for her journey home. Maddie stranded in Massachusetts and arrived with a plane load of other cold-stuns. A definite favorite during public tours this little cutie also tripled her weight during her stay with us.

Finally, it was Copper’s turn. This juvenile loggerhead stranded in Wrightsville Beach after being accidentally hooked on a fishing line. Unfortunately, the hook had travelled into his esophagus and had to be surgically removed by the great vets at CMAST. Having a sore throat never affected his appetite as he was the first turtle to pop up in the morning with a big grin and a “got breakfast?” look on his face. He managed to convince Dr. Harms that was totally OK and ready to roll so roll he did, down the beach on our “turtle taxi” waving good-bye with his big boy flippers. Out of six turtles he seemed to be the most reluctant to actually leave us, taking a few steps and then turning around over and over to take one last look at the island before finally catching a wave and heading out. Bon voyage, class of 2022.

With fewer visitors to the island and our Topsail Turtle Project volunteers officially off-duty until next May we rely increasingly on our locals, anglers and boaters to notify us about any turtle in distress. If you see a turtle that’s been injured or stranded call our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at: 910-470-2880. If she is not available, you may call the hospital during operating hours: 910-329-0222. We will take the information and send trained volunteers to retrieve the turtle. The State of NC hotline for stranded, sick and injured turtles is 252-241-7367. The state number picks up 24/7. All conservation work for endangered sea turtles at KBSTRRC and on Topsail Island is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 22ST05.

Hospital closed for public tours. We are closed to the public at least through November 24th for facility improvements. If all goes well, we may be able to open for a few days in December. In the meantime, you can visit our gift shop and adopt a turtle on-line at our website reservations page. Check our Facebook page for the latest information and any updates on our progress.