Sea Turtles Rescued From Frigid Waters Treated At FL Aquarium

TAMPA — Dozens of small green sea turtles have been rescued from cold waters off Florida during the recent cold snap affecting the state — and more than 20 of them are being treated at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa.

Six of 42 sea turtles rescued near St. Augustine were brought to Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center, where they’re receiving critical care, Thursday, according to a news release.

Another dozen are expected to arrive at the aquarium Friday, joining the 11 sea turtles already being treated there.

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Cold stunning, similar to severe frostbite, is a life-threatening condition caused by prolonged exposure to cold water which leaves sea turtles lethargic, unable to swim, and vulnerable to hypothermia, malnutrition, and infections, the aquarium said.

Temperatures in the Atlantic and the Gulf waters have dropped into the 50s, creating dire conditions for sea turtles.

The Florida Aquarium is ramping up its critical care efforts for sea turtles as the frigid temperatures continue.

The rescue is seeking donations specifically for this purpose.

“For more than a decade, we have successfully rescued and rehabilitated some of the most critical care sea turtle patients who would not have survived without our help. This work requires months of treatment before they can be released, and the costs associated with their treatment, food, and care averages $15,000 per turtle,” Dr. Debborah Luke, the Florida Aquarium’s senior vice president of conservation, said. “But with this severe cold stunning event, coupled with many facilities across the west coast recovering from the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton, means we must increase our critical care efforts today to take in and save even more sea turtles over the coming weeks. We greatly appreciate the generosity of donations made to our Sea Turtle Conservation Program, so we can continue to expand this critically important work.”

The Florida Aquarium recently expanded its capacity to save endangered sea turtles with the addition of the Mobile Aquatic Sea turtle Holding (MASH) units. The state-of-the-art portable pools allow animal care and health experts to treat more turtles at once, from the most critical to those that need minimal care.

“The opening of the new pools couldn’t have come at a better time, as all eight MASH units are housing the loggerhead turtles rescued from Massachusetts, as well as the newly arrived green sea turtles from Florida’s east coast,” the new release reads.

In 2024, more than 50 sea turtles were handled by the Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program. With the addition of the MASH units, the Aquarium can manage even more sea turtles in 2025.

The Florida Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center is open to the public daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from November to April.

This 19,000 square-foot facility houses four rehabilitation pools, a deep-dive foraging pool and a state-of-the-art veterinary suite.