Featured Image Credit: South Carolina Aquarium
By Alice Morris
Following a long road to recovery, three rescued sea turtles are finally home.
The green sea turtles were discovered last November on the coast of Massachusetts where they were suffering from cold stunning, a hypothermic reaction that can be fatal to sea turtles.
The turtles were transported to the South Carolina Aquarium’s Turtle Care Center where they received treatment and rehabilitation.
Three months later, the sea turtles were healthy and ready to be released back into the wild.
The three turtles (named Han Solo, Kylo Ren, and Princess Leia) were released in Surfside Park in St. Augustine, Florida on February 7th.
The Turtle Care Center has now rehabilitated and released 210 turtles, and they have fourteen more currently in care. The center hopes to soon release three more sea turtles named Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Yoda.
The South Carolina Turtle Care Center is considered a worldwide leader in sea turtle rehabilitation and conservation and it will be expanding its conservation efforts in May with the opening of the Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery hospital, a state-of-the-art facility for sea turtles that will allow guests to observe and learn about the rehabilitation process.
Cold stunning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a hypothermic reaction that occurs when a sea turtle is exposed to prolonged cold-water temperatures. Sea turtles rely on their surroundings to regulate their body temperature so spending too much time in cold waters puts them at serious risk.
Cold stunning is common in the Northeast, with the most incidences reported on Cape Cod beaches in Massachusetts. Each year, between 50 and 200 sea turtles suffer from cold stunning.
Good luck to Han Solo, Kylo Ren, and Princess Leia! May the force be with you!