U.S. Coast Guard helps release 25 rehabilitated sea turtles into the Gulf Stream

January 18, 2025 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.), N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island, and Coast Guardsmen from Station Hatteras Inlet recently teamed up to release a total of 25 rehabilitated sea turtles into the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream, roughly 13 miles offshore.

The sea turtles, (which included 24 green and one loggerhead), were 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.

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 even spotted in the shallow sound waters.

With these circumstances in mind, local volunteers from N.E.S.T. regularly monitor the Hatteras and Ocracoke Island waters after a cold spell, looking for cold-stunned sea turtles in need of assistance.

The volunteers primarily search for stranded turtles along the soundside, covering private property in the villages and areas that are not routinely patrolled by the National Park Service. 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, with more than 800 cold-stunned sea turtles rescued to date along the Outer Banks.

Some of the turtles found in Frisco in early December. Photo by Stacey Saunders.

“Many thanks to the STAR Center and Aquarium staff, and the U.S. Coast Guard for their critical roles in ensuring these turtles were ready for return to the sea, and in getting them home,” stated N.E.S.T. in an update about the recent release.

With freezing temperatures expected next week, beachgoers along the sound, (and the oceanfront), are advised to keep a lookout for sea turtles over the days to come.

How you can help:

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.