'Cold-Stunned' Sea Turtles May Look Dead, But They're Not

BRIGANTINE, NJ - Don't automatically assume that the turtle you found is dead just because it's not moving.

That's the advice from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, which has responded to several calls about turtles that appear to be dead but are just shocked from the cold weather.

"We have responded to several cold-stunned turtles coming ashore in the past week," according to a post on the stranding center's Facebook page. " As we have mentioned before, these animals may look dead, as they will appear very lethargic and will not be moving much, but they are STILL alive!"

So what should you do if you find one? Call the Stranding Center at 609-266-0538 immediately and provide a description of the animal's size, color and activity level and its exact location. If you can provide a photo, that's even better.

But whatever you do, don't try to warm the turtle up.

"Warming these animals up at an accelerated rate could kill them," the post states.

As of right now, most of the turtles have been washing up in the Raritan/Sandy Hook Bay area but there could be more up and down the coastline that have not been found yet.

A Harvey Cedars woman plucked a stunned turtle from a lagoon recently, according to The Sandpaper. The rescued animal is now recovering at the Turtle Back Zoo.

Anyone with questions, may call 609-266-0538.

Photos: Marine Mammal Stranding Center