STAR Center treating nearly 200 cold-stunned turtles

By Outer Banks Voice on December 29, 2022

Facility closed to public to make room for those patients

Update: The NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island reports that as of Dec. 28, it has accepted 194 cold-stunned sea turtles and the STAR Center remains closed to staff. Currently, we have all the supplies we need, thanks to our supporters. If you are interested in contributing donations, please visit our friends group, the NC Aquarium Society, or volunteer group Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.).

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Two small green sea turtles warm up in a blue kiddie pool before being reintroduced to water in one of the rehabilitation pools. (NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island)

The NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island reported on Dec. 27 that its STAR (Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation) Center had received more than 50 new cold-stunned sea turtle patients over the previous two days. In order to make space for all of these turtles, the STAR Center will be closed to the public.

The Center also noted that not all stranded turtles are found alive. When these reptiles are very cold, they can appear dead, so all turtles found this time of year are brought to the STAR Center where more advanced examinations can confirm death. The turtle intake numbers reported below reflect both patients that arrived alive and those that did not survive their stranding.  As of today, STAR has received greens, Kemp’s ridleys, and loggerhead cold-stunned turtles.

Here is a breakdown of the basic condition of the turtles that have arrived at the Center in recent days.

12/25/2022: Live – 24, Dead – 16

12/26/2022: Live – 27, Dead – 3

12/27/2022: Live – 14, Dead – 3

For more information visit NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island’s STAR Center and their Facebook page.

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