Officials have reported that numerous sea turtles have perished due to frigid temperatures along the North Carolina coastline.

On Sunday, the North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology received 109 cold-stunned sea turtles from Cape Lookout. Unfortunately, only 36 of them were able to survive, as stated in a recent social media update by the center.

Once the turtles have been treated at the center, they will finish their recovery process at the North Carolina Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail. Afterward, they will be returned to their original environment, according to the center.

According to a post on social media, officials from Cape Hatteras National Seashore reported discovering over 100 cold-stunned sea turtles along the shoreline between Bodie Island and Ocracoke in recent days. The majority of these turtles were transported to the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation center at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

According to Christian Legner, a spokesperson for the aquarium, approximately 24 turtles have passed away. Currently, there are 105 turtles being rehabilitated on-site, and more have arrived at the center since the start of the cold-stunning season in late November.

During periods of colder weather, the reptiles’ body temperatures align with the temperature of their surroundings. This causes them to become sluggish and struggle to raise their heads above water to breathe, according to a social media post by National Seashore officials. The wind then carries these lethargic turtles to the shorelines, where they are monitored by volunteers and seashore biologists during cold weather.

Source: wral.com