175-pound loggerhead named ‘Cheese Curd’ released into the Gulf Stream

February 25, 2025 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The Phideaux leaves Wanchese. Photo from the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island.

The Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.), N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island recently teamed up with the crew of the Wanchese-based Phideaux to release a rehabilitated 175-pound loggerhead sea turtle named “Cheese Curd” into the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream, roughly 13 miles offshore.

The rehabilitated 175-pound loggerhead sea turtle named “Cheese Curd.” Photo from the Phideaux

Cheese Curd was one of the many recent cold-stunned patients at the Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center at the aquarium, which is one of only two dedicated sea turtle hospitals in the state.

N.E.S.T. routinely partners with sea-faring vessels and organizations to release recovered sea turtles closer to their Gulf Stream home. Of the roughly 800 sea turtles the STAR Center received in December and early January alone, 552 were released offshore by the U.S. Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet, the U.S. Coast Guard Station Fort Macon, and the fishing vessel Phideux.

Cold-stunning occurs when the temperatures drop in the winter months, and it can be a life-threatening scenario.

As cold-blooded reptiles, sea turtles derive heat from their surroundings, and when they become too cold, their metabolism slows, prohibiting them from moving to warmer waters. This can cause a wide range of medical issues, and without assistance, can even lead to drowning, as the turtles struggle to raise their heads above water to breathe.

During these events, sea turtles are also naturally blown to a local shoreline or shallow sound waters. This is why local volunteers from N.E.S.T. regularly monitor the Hatteras and Ocracoke Island soundside beaches after a cold spell, looking for cold-stunned sea turtles in need of assistance.

After braving the cold conditions, the volunteers meet at a staging site, where turtles are measured and labeled before hitching a ride to the STAR Center where medical assistance is provided.

The number of sea turtles that are rescued can vary greatly from year to year, but the 2024/2025 season has already broken local records.

Though the cold weather is winding down for the 2024/2025 season, if you spot a cold-stunned sea turtle in or along the Pamlico Sound, contact the 24-hour N.E.S.T. hotline at 252-441-8622. You can also call the National Park Service at 252-216-6892 if you spot a sea turtle along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

For more information on N.E.S.T. and to make a donation or learn about volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.nestonline.org/.

Sea turtles in North Carolina are protected by the Endangered Species Act and managed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.