Public Radio East serves Eastern North Carolina by providing news, fine arts, and informational programming that challenges, stimulates, educates, and entertains an intellectually curious audience.

© 2026 Public Radio East

Public Radio East
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562

EIN 56-1802728
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 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Hawksbill Sea Turtle, usually seen in the tropics, found stunned by cold on NC coast

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published December 7, 2023 at 7:17 AM EST
Officials with the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island say Bagheera is a Hawksbill Sea Turtle, and they’re the most tropical of all sea turtle species – typically found in tropical or subtropical waters with coral reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
Officials with the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island say Bagheera is a Hawksbill Sea Turtle, and they’re the most tropical of all sea turtle species – typically found in tropical or subtropical waters with coral reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

The STAR Center is rehabilitating a cold-stunned turtle of a species that isn’t often found along the North Carolina coast.

Officials with the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island say Bagheera is a Hawksbill Sea Turtle, and they’re the most tropical of all sea turtle species – typically found in tropical or subtropical waters with coral reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

The STAR Center rehabilitation team will restore the turtle to health before releasing him back into the sea.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
The STAR Center rehabilitation team will restore the turtle to health before releasing him back into the sea.

Bagheera was found stranded soundside in Avon, with a body temperature of 48°F.

The rehabilitation team will restore the turtle to health before releasing him back into the sea.
Annette Weston
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. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 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 kiddo cuddling, reading, 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