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It’s cold, and you might think all sea turtles have migrated from the South Carolina coast to warmer waters in Florida and the Caribbean. But that doesn’t seem to be the case this colder-than-usual winter. Lody Leighton of Ocean Club Villas discovered this on Jan. 10 while walking her dog near the Seagrass Lane boardwalk in Wild Dunes.
She found a small, seven-pound green sea turtle that was almost paralyzed from the cold on a day when there was a light drizzle and even a few snow flurries, with temperatures in the low 30s. She tried to help the turtle back into the water, but it kept washing ashore. Leighton then called her neighbor Carolyn Eshelman, a member of the Isle of Palms Turtle Team.
Eshelman knew I had an S.C. Department of Natural Resources stranding and live transport permit to rescue and drive the turtle to the South Carolina Aquarium for help.
All sea turtles are cold-blooded reptiles, meaning their body temperature matches their environment. When I checked with a temperature gun, it read just 33 degrees Fahrenheit on the turtle’s neck skin. This condition, known as “cold stunning,” prevents turtles from surviving in water or air this cold. Symptoms include lethargy, buoyancy (floating), and a weakened immune system. Cold-stunned turtles can also develop pneumonia, eye ulcers, and frostbite.
Transporting cold-stunned turtles requires following strict guidelines, including not warming them at all on the way to a rescue facility. So, this was a very chilly car ride alongside Raye Ann Osborne, another authorized transport volunteer. An increase of more than 3 degrees per day could send a turtle into shock.
Ten years ago, cold stunning in South Carolina was rare, and at the time, we were told rescues for this reason would likely not be necessary. Green turtles are known vegetarians, and research from Fort Johnson on James Island suggests their diet could be playing a role in their increased presence. Josh Ratay, who studies sea turtle dietary habits during necropsies, found that small green turtles in South Carolina are feeding on Gracilaria vermiculophylla, a red, non-native seaweed, in addition to native underwater grasses. Could this be why so many small green turtles are thriving here? Perhaps their feeding habits are keeping them in local waters longer than they should be, exposing them to dangerous winter temperatures.
At the South Carolina Aquarium’s loading dock, we were met by Melissa Ranly, manager of the Sea Turtle Care Center. The turtle was admitted for treatment and named “Snowdrop” after the January birth month flower—a fitting choice, as the turtle was rescued during snowfall in Dewees Inlet.
At intake, Snowdrop’s internal body temperature measured just 42 degrees. Over the next five days, aquarium staff gradually warmed the turtle in a cold room in “dry dock.” After that, Snowdrop transitioned to tanks with increasing amounts of water and immediately began eating fish and vegetables.
As of the last report, Snowdrop is still eating and recovering well. We are grateful to residents like Lody Leighton and to the dedicated workers at the aquarium who treat turtles like Snowdrop. Six other cold-stunned turtles, all juvenile green sea turtles weighing between 4½ and 12½ pounds, have also been admitted from locations along the South Carolina coast. All are thriving with the help of medical care and proper nutrition. They cannot be safely released until ocean temperatures reach at least 70 degrees.
Note: If you find a stranded sea turtle or marine mammal on Isle of Palms or Sullivan’s Island, do not try to push it back into the water. Stay with the animal and call either the Isle of Palms police nonemergency number at 843-886-6522 or the S.C. Department of Natural Resources hotline at 800-922-5431. They will dispatch a trained responder to assess and transport the animal if necessary.
