Westhampton Beach marine biologists send 8 rescued cold-stunned sea turtles back to warmer waters

Marine biologists transferred eight rehabilitated turtles who had been cold-stunned last fall back to warmer waters Monday, sending them from Long Island to North Carolina for release. 

The Westhampton Beach-based Atlantic Marine Conservation Society had accepted 20 cold-stunned Kemp's Ridley sea turtles for treatment in November from the New England Aquarium and National Marine Life Center in Massachusetts.

The turtles were flown by the organization, Turtles Fly Too, to Gabreski Airport and taken to the Westhampton Beach Critical Care Sea Turtle Facility where they were rehabilitated.

Of the 20 turtles, three died, nine turtles are still being rehabilitated and eight were flown to Fort Macon State Park in North Carolina’s southern Outer Banks. They were released back into the water by the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission.

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society is one of two organizations in New York that treats cold-stunned turtles.

Turtles and other marine life can suffer cold-stunned symptoms along the northeast coast when water temperatures drop below 50 degrees. Some sea turtles are unable to move to warmer waters and suffer hypothermic conditions in the fall and winter, biologists said.

When turtles stay in northeast waters too late into the fall, they can suffer conditions including a low heart rate, distressed respiratory system and lethargy, which can lead to shock pneumonia or death, biologists said.

In New York, any stranded marine mammals and sea turtles can be reported to the NY Stranding Hotline at 631-369-9829.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.