32 Cold Sea Turtles Flown To Florida Keys To Warm Up

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MARATHON (FKNB/CBSMiami) – Thirty-two critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles that were rescued off Cape Cod were flown by private plane Tuesday from Quincy, Massachusetts, to the subtropical Florida Keys, where they will convalesce at Marathon's Turtle Hospital.

Staff members at the Florida Keys-based Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Fla., look at a portion of a group of 32 cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles after they were flown to the subtropical Keys Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. The reptiles were rescued between late November and early December off Cape Cod, Mass. Once the sea turtles are healthy enough to be released, they are to be returned to warmer waters off Florida. Kemp's ridley are among the rarest species of sea turtles. (Source: Larry Benvenuti/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

The flight transport to Florida Keys Marathon International Airport was conducted by an all-volunteer group of general aviation pilots, in coordination with the "Turtles Fly Too" organization.

Several of the turtles suffer from compromised immune systems and pneumonia as a result of "cold stunning," a hypothermic reaction that occurs when sea turtles are exposed to cold water for a prolonged time, said Bette Zirkelbach, manager of the Turtle Hospital.

Unlike marine mammals, turtles cannot regulate their body temperatures so water temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit pose a threat to their survival, she added.

"(For) these turtles, once we get them into rehabilitation we have warmer waters right here for them in our rehabilitation tanks," Zirkelbach said. "The turtles have (been) flown south literally to warm up and get care at the Turtle Hospital."

The reptiles were rescued between late November and early December and initially treated at the New England Aquarium in Quincy.

From left, Brooke Burkhalter, Bette Zirkelbach, Shelby Loos and Jeff Carr work to intubate a cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtle at the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Fla. A group of 32 cold-stunned Kemp's ridley sea turtles were flown from Quincy, Mass., to the Florida Keys Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018. The reptiles were rescued between late November and early December off Cape Cod, Mass. Once the sea turtles are healthy enough to be released, they are to be returned to warmer waters off Florida. Kemp's ridley sea turtles are among the rarest species of sea turtles. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Larry Benvenuti/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)

Upon their arrival at the Turtle Hospital, on-site veterinarians and staff conducted full physical examinations and began caring for the reptiles.

Treatment is to include broad-spectrum antibiotics, fluids, vitamins and a mixed seafood diet. Furthermore, the group of turtles are to be placed in rehabilitation tanks set at about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the juvenile sea turtles are healthy enough to be released back to the wild, they will return to warmer waters off Florida. Kemp's ridley sea turtles are classified as "critically endangered," according to federal wildlife officials.

(©2018 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Florida Keys News Bureau contributed to this report.)

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