As Texans try to keep warm, volunteers are bundling up to go help a population particularly vulnerable to the cold: sea turtles.
South Padre Island-based nonprofit Sea Turtle Inc. says it’s gearing up for a rescue operation as the second cold snap in two weeks threatens turtles with cold stun, a life-threatening condition that can kill the reptiles when temperatures drop too low.
Wendy Knight, the group’s CEO, said a cold stun happens when a sea turtle is no longer able to regulate its own body temperature.
“Sea turtles are cold-blooded, so they use the water around them to regulate their normal temperature, which really explains why they love it here in South Padre Island, where typically [there’s] summer weather 320 days a year,” she said. “They like that warm water. But when it gets cold like it is right now, they just are not able to regulate that anymore. And they really go into a catatonic state.
“And because of that, they’re not able to swim. They’re not able to raise their head to breathe, and they just float up to the top of the water. If a human doesn’t pull them out of the water, they’ll lay there at the top of the water and drown.”
Knight said if you live on the coast and encounter a turtle that appears to be stunned by the cold, it is best to call the Sea Turtle Inc. hotline, which can be reached 24/7 at (956) 243-4361.
“Sea turtles are federally protected. It’s a permitted process. And Sea Turtle Inc is the only permit holder anywhere in South Texas,” she said. “So we’re available to everyone here to provide advice and emergency response – you know, and help you help us.”
Once the turtle has been removed from the too-cold water, it can start to recover
“Once they’re inside or somewhere that’s protected from those extreme elements, Mother Nature does what Mother Nature does, and the animal will start to re-regulate its body temperature and will start to warm up on its own,” Knight said. “As our beautiful Texas weather follows suit, they’re ready to go back out. And we let them go back out into the Gulf of Mexico.
“So it’s a relatively simple process once we have them out of the water. What’s not been simple about this season is that this is our second large cold stunning event in the last 10 days.”
Knight said Sea Turtle Inc. had 200 turtles in its care just last week when the temperatures first dropped. The organization struggles to find space for all the animals during low temperatures, she said.
“Luckily, the ones from last week were ready to go on Saturday, so we got to enjoy a leisurely Sunday before this whole process started over again,” she said. “So it’s pretty crushing on resources and supplies. But we’re making it work.”
