CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Texas State Aquarium is asking Coastal Bend residents to be on the lookout for stranded sea turtles near the Coastal Bend's waterways.
The aquarium says that with the expected temperature drop over the next few days, sea turtles are at risk of cold-stunning - a condition where they become weak and inactive due to the cold.
If you find a sea turtle on the beach, you are asked NOT to put it back in the water! Cold water can be fatal for endangered sea turtles.
The Padre Island National Seashore said the park will work with the aquarium and other area partners to come to the rescue of any stunned turtles.
3News spoke with President & CEO of the Texas State Aquarium, Jesse Gilbert, who said they saw 300 cold-stunned turtles last year come through for recovery -this year they're equipped to take in 2,000 if necessary. The aquarium's new Wildlife Rescue Center was designed with large scale events in mind to be able to warm animals quickly and more efficiently.
Gilbert walked us through the steps their team takes when a cold-stunned turtle is found.
"They're recovered, they're processed, we make sure we know where the animals came from, tagged, numbered. then there's a gradual warming process that happens at the aquarium. we'll warm them until the gulf temperatures are back up to about 65 degrees Fahrenheit and we'll get them back out."
He said the weather is expected to warm up quickly after the front, which should expedite their turn around process.
If you see any cold stunned turtles, you are encouraged to call the turtle hotline 1-866-TURTLE5.
Responders will be notified and head out to help.