A Warm Welcome: 'Cold-Stunned' Turtles Warming Up at Florida Keys Turtle Hospital

Florida Keys Turtle Hospital – Cold-Stunned Turtle Rescue & Rehabilitation

The Florida Keys Turtle Hospital in Marathon has once again become a lifeline for one of the planet’s most vulnerable marine species. On December 10, 2025, twenty-five critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles arrived in the Keys—not as tourists, but as urgent medical cases recovering from a severe cold-stunning event in frigid Cape Cod Bay. Packed carefully into Chiquita banana boxes and flown south by LightHawk volunteer pilots, these juveniles reached the subtropical warmth of the Florida Keys where rehabilitation could begin immediately.

Cold-stunning occurs when water temperatures fall below 55°F, leaving sea turtles immobile, hypothermic, and often unable to surface or swim. Volunteers in New England searched the beaches as temperatures dropped, locating stranded turtles and transferring them to the New England Aquarium for stabilization. Once cleared for transport, LightHawk pilots donated aircraft, fuel, and flight time to ensure the turtles reached Marathon safely.

Upon arrival at the Florida Keys Turtle Hospital, each Kemp’s ridley underwent blood chemistry tests, weight checks, measurements, and respiratory assessments before receiving treatment for pneumonia, dehydration, and cold-related trauma. Some juveniles may fully recover in as little as a month, while others require nearly a year of intensive care to overcome infections and bone complications. Regardless of recovery time, each turtle represents hope for a species at the edge of extinction.

As these young sea turtles acclimate to warmer waters and regain strength, their presence symbolizes the vital conservation work happening daily in Marathon. Every successful release is a step toward restoring a species whose survival now depends on swift action, collaboration, and dedicated rehabilitation.