In a tragic incident, 73 sea turtles died in one day when they encountered a sudden drop in water temperature in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The incident took place on Sunday after the N.C. State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology gathered 109 paralysed sea turtles off National Park Service beaches.
“Unfortunately, only 36 of them survived. Deceased turtles will be necropsied and used for research. Surviving turtles are being examined and treated at CMAST,” the centre said in a Facebook post.
“Afterwards, they will be transferred to the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail, to complete their rehabilitation before eventually being released back into their natural habitat,” it added.
Also Read: US firefighters jump in 8-foot waves to save drowning pit bull
Over 300 cold-stunned turtles found at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
In a similar incident, more than 300 cold-stunned turtles were found earlier in January at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. They were rushed to veterinary facilities in hopes of saving them.
During winters, sea turtles usually migrate to seasonally warmer waters, said experts.
“Turtles can become lethargic and hypothermic in the cooler water. They experience a condition called ‘cold-stunned,’ which inhibits them from swimming and eating. Winds and tides can eventually cause sea turtles to wash up at Cape Lookout," Cape Lookout National Seashore reported.
Last year in August, a rare Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was swept across the Atlantic by the Gulf Stream. Tally was later flown back to Texas with the help of the RAF.
Tally received a military escort to RAF Valley on the island after being restored to health at the Anglesey sea zoo.
{{/usCountry}}Tally received a military escort to RAF Valley on the island after being restored to health at the Anglesey sea zoo.
{{/usCountry}}“It is probably worth noting that the repatriation means that Valley and RAF Northolt would have played a small part in helping save what the lead US turtle rescue charity described to us as one of the most endangered of all sea turtles in the world’s oceans, with only one in 1,000 making it to Tally’s age. It would be difficult to imagine a more threatened animal. We look forward to being able to monitor its progress," said Gp Capt Matt Hoare, RAF Valley’s station commander.