© 2023 Public Radio East
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 88.5 WHYC Swan Quarter 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Frigid holiday temps resulted in 250 cold-stunned sea turtles that are being rehabbed at NC aquariums

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston-Riggs
Published January 12, 2023 at 10:45 AM EST
Frigid temperatures during the holidays resulted in hundreds of cold-stunned and stranded sea turtles. Officials say three North Carolina Aquariums are caring for about 250 sea turtles.
(Photo: NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher)
Frigid temperatures during the holidays resulted in hundreds of cold-stunned and stranded sea turtles. Officials say three North Carolina Aquariums are caring for about 250 sea turtles.

Frigid temperatures during the holidays resulted in hundreds of cold-stunned and stranded sea turtles.

Officials say three North Carolina Aquariums are caring for about 250 sea turtles. They include loggerheads, greens and Kemp’s ridleys officials say were caught in the cold water and unable to swim.

“Turtles came in steadily. A special thanks to the teams at the Aquariums and the other turtle heroes this season—the area National Parks staff and N.E.S.T. volunteers who spent their holiday patrolling the beaches in miserably cold temperatures for days on end to locate and rescue as many as possible,” said Emily Christiansen, chief veterinarian, North Carolina Aquariums.

The Aquariums also care for cold-stunned turtles found outside of North Carolina. Earlier this season, a volunteer pilot program, Turtles Fly Too, Inc. transported cold-stunned sea turtles from Cape Cod to Beaufort which were then transported to rehabilitation facilities along the coast.

See video of the rescued turtles HERE.
Annette Weston-Riggs
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. She has been involved in the media industry in eastern North Carolina for more than three years. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to ENC to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of toddler and baby cuddling, reading, designing costumes for children’s theater and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston-Riggs