The STAR Center sea turtle hospital at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island admitted eight patients this week after dropping water temperatures led to cold-stunning, a hypothermia-like condition that renders the turtles unable to swim.
“They were all gradually warmed back up over a few days, and today each turtle was observed during a swim test,” the aquarium said in a Facebook post. “Passing this test is important to each turtle’s recovery and brings them a step closer to release.”
Cold-stunning is not an uncommon event for sea turtles off the Outer Banks. If you spot a turtle on the beach, call the Outer Banks Network for Endangered Sea Turtles hotline at 252-441-8622.
This story originally appeared on OBXToday.com. Read More local stories here.
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