Frigid Atlantic waters endanger sea turtles, FL Aquarium ramps up rescues

FLORIDA — The recent cold snap has sent the Atlantic’s waters plummeting into the 50s, making it difficult for the endangered sea turtles to survive on their own. So, the Florida Aquarium say’s its working to save them.
Watch Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski's report here:

This week alone, the Florida Aquarium in Apollo Beach said it’s taken in 18 turtles rescued from life-threatening cold-stunning that leaves them weak and vulnerable. They say these new arrivals bring their current caseload to 29 sea turtles under critical care.

“Turtles get cold stunned. Just like we get cold, turtles get cold too,” said Dr. Debborah Luke, the Florida Aquarium’s Senior Vice President of Conservation. “They’re reptiles and once their body temperature hits a certain level they’ll strand. They’ll wash up either on shore where people will find them or they’ll float to the surface.”

The Florida Aquarium

While stunned, the Aquarium says the turtles are at risk of developing hypothermia, malnutrition, and infections. With the influx of new patients, the Florida Aquarium says it ramped up rescue efforts thanks to recently added portable pools, allowing them to treat more turtles at once.

But, they say the costs are steep - averaging $15,000 per turtle! So, they say donations and ticket sales are keeping this critical work afloat.