70+ Sea Turtles Found Cold-Stunned Near Corpus Christi

Sea turtles in the Corpus Christi area were spotted washing up on the beach, weak and confused. Many of the sea turtles weren’t hurt by boats or from getting tangled in nets; they were ‘cold-stunned.’

We aren’t the only ones affected by the recent freeze. Over the last week, temperatures in South Texas easily dipped below 50 degrees, and for sea turtles, that’s enough to completely shut their bodies down. When the water cools too fast, they become weak, confused, and unable to swim. Some end up floating near the surface, others get pushed onto shore by wind and currents.

Corpus Christi State Aquarium asked people in Corpus Christi Bay, Matagorda Bay, and the Upper and Lower Laguna Madre to keep an eye out for sea turtles that may be cold-stunned. In a Facebook post, they warned that the turtles could wash ashore and need to be rescued or risk serious health risks and even death.

One of the most important pleas they put out was not to put the turtles back into the water.

The cold could actually kill the already weak turtles. Instead, they urge anyone to call the Texas Sea Turtle Info Line at 1-866-TURTLE-5 (887-8535). They’ll walk you through what to do and get help moving fast.

The response has already been massive, and as of Tuesday, January 27, 71 cold-stunned sea turtles were admitted for care, thanks to crews at Padre Island National Seashore and other crews who jumped in immediately to help .