Hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles are being rehabilitated at the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea.
The team at the lab's Sea Turtle Hospital is caring for more than 500 patients at varying stages of recovery.
The turtles are warmed up, tested for swimming, and placed in holding tanks for monitoring. They will be released when conditions are appropriate.
Here is the email sent Monday evening from the lab:
Dear Friends and Supporters,
After several days of cold weather and an intense weekend of response efforts, we wanted to share an update on how things are progressing at our Sea Turtle Hospital.
Following cold conditions earlier this week and through the weekend, our team completed intake for over 180 cold-stunned sea turtles. These turtles have since been warmed, swim tested, and placed into holding tanks, where they are being closely monitored as we prepare for their eventual release when conditions are appropriate.
As of this afternoon, we have already received over 350 additional sea turtles, and active search efforts are continuing with more arrivals expected later tonight. At the same time, our team is caring for turtles at multiple stages of recovery, from newly admitted patients to those warming, swim testing, and resting in holding tanks as they prepare for release.
As a nonprofit organization, our ability to respond to events like this depends on community support. We are deeply grateful to share that we have reached $34,124 raised toward our $50,000 Sea Turtle Hospital goal. These funds directly support intake, stabilization, monitoring, and release efforts for the turtles currently in our care.
Every donation makes a real difference, and we are incredibly appreciative of everyone who has contributed and supported this work so far. You can donate using the link below!
Please continue to keep an eye out for additional email updates, and follow along on our Instagram and Facebook pages for ongoing updates!
All work is conducted under Marine Turtle Permit MTP-25-036.
With sincere gratitude,
The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab & Aquarium Team
Copyright 2026 WFSU
