What It’s Like Working at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital

Cold-stunning season: “Organized chaos”

Usually in late October, when water temperatures in Cape Cod Bay begin to drop to about 55˚ F, the hospital enters its busiest and most hectic time: cold-stunning season.

Cold-stunning occurs when sea turtles are exposed to rapidly dropping water temperatures, leaving them lethargic, unable to swim, and frequently stranded along Cape Cod beaches. The turtles are rescued by volunteers from Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, and brought to the Aquarium for treatment. By the time they arrive at the Sea Turtle Hospital, many are fighting for survival—suffering from pneumonia, dehydration, injuries, and frostbite.

On any given day, the Sea Turtle Hospital might admit five turtles or more than 80.

“The best way to describe it is organized chaos,” Kristen said. “It’s a lot of time and delegation and working as a team and being really organized.”

The intake process is a fast but thorough assessment of each patient. The team photographs every turtle, records their weight, checks for injuries, and runs swim and diagnostics tests, including blood work and radiographs. They then begin slowly warming the turtle to their normal body temperature of about 75°F.

Based on test results, the team develops individualized treatment plans, often including fluid therapy and antibiotics. Some turtles require more advanced diagnostics or treatment.

“We work closely with our Animal Health Department performing procedures such as bronchoscopies and tracheal washes, as well as taking turtles off-site for CT scans,” Kristen said. “There really is a lot that we can do to learn about these turtles and help treat them. Things that humans get, the turtles can get.”

Each turtle is given a name based on a new theme each year. Last year, the theme was Greek mythology. This year, the theme is fonts, with turtles at the facility including Papyrus, Wingdings, and Meep.