On Monday, December 14, 2020, NOAA, with the help of Turtles Fly Too, a volunteer organization that donates flights for endangered species, will be flying Kemp’s ridleys sea turtles to Gulfport, Mississippi from Massachusetts that were stranded cold-stunned during the annual cold stun event that occurs between November and January each fall. 

– These turtles became trapped by Cape Cod in MA and their southbound migration was delayed so they were forced to stay in waters that cooled down gradually as the season progressed.

-By the time these turtles washed up on shore, they had been in cold water and debilitated for weeks or even for over a month. They weren’t eating, so they are very underweight. When they stranded, they had reduced heart and respiration rates and other medical issues related to their organ systems slowing down. They often come down with secondary infections, such as pneumonia. 

-These turtles were first treated at the New England Aquarium (NEAQ) and the National Marine Life Center (NMLC).  There, they were warmed slowly, provided fluids, and started on antibiotics.

– As there was a limited number of facilities in the Northeast, IMMS, as it had done a few years back, extended their willingness to help care for these stranded sea turtles. IMMS, along with its collaborator, the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University, is a premier organization that has decades of experience in rehabilitating sea turtles and has played a significant role in the conservation of turtle species in the Gulf of Mexico. Several other facilities in the Gulf States (Texas, Florida, Louisiana) are participating in this effort.

– The turtles are being flown from MA to Gulfport, MS on Monday. They will need medical care for weeks or months until they are healthy enough to be released back into the wild.