Icicle's Story

Icicle was a juvenile Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle that became cold stunned in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Cold stunning refers to a condition that occurs in sea turtles after prolonged exposure to water temperatures below 50 degrees F. Excessive cold exposure affects a sea turtle’s organ function, circulation, immune function, skin, and can facilitate infection. After just three days, Icicle’s condition rapidly worsened and they unfortunately did not survive. Our veterinary and rehabilitation staff is happy to have provided this sea turtle a warm and comfortable environment while under our care, and hope to utilize stories like Icicle’s to raise awareness about how cold stunning effects sea turtles.