STAR Center Blog

Your browser doesn't support video. Please download the file: video/mp4 Thank you to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and Duke Marine Lab for giving 30 of our rehabilitated sea turtles a lift last Saturday! 28 greens and 2 Kemp's ridleys were trucked south by Wildlife Resources Commission biologist Jeff Hall to meet the R/V Shearwater. This Duke Marine Lab research vessel will release the turtles in warmer waters offshore. Thanks to Food Lion of Nags Head and Fresh Mar... Read More

Thanks to amazing work in the field by Cape Hatteras National Seashore staff and N.E.S.T. volunteers, we have a pretty full house at the STAR Center! The Center will remain closed to the public as we continue to receive patients and work toward releases. As of December 28, we have accepted 194 cold-stunned sea turtles. Staff and volunteers are spending countless hours responding to strandings, transporting, and caring for these cold-stunned sea turtles. Currently, we have all the supplies we... Read More

The work in the STAR Center (and at the Aquarium) doesn't stop when we're closed for the holidays. N.E.S.T. volunteers, NPS biologists, and STAR/Aquarium staff show up for these animals no matter the date or time. Unfortunately, as a cold stun event continues and the temperatures stay very low, not all stranded turtles are found alive. When these reptiles are very cold they can appear dead, so all turtles found this time of year are brought to the STAR Center where more advanced exam... Read More

After a slow day on December 23 when no sea turtles were brought to STAR, Saturday, December 24 kept us hopping! At the end of the day there were 47 new intakes. This bring the seasonal total to 124.  With only essential personnel on site today and tomorrow caring for animals, we'll post more detailed stats after the weekend. Stay tuned!  Thank you to all the volunteers and staff working throughout the holiday season to find, transport, and care for these sea turtles. Read More

You may be wondering what happens when we just keep getting cold-stunned patients. Just like the partnerships in place to find turtles and deliver them to care, we have partnerships that help us move rehabilitating sea turtles to faciltities that have room to accept more patients. Yesterday morning 5 greens were transported first to NC State College of Veterinary Medicine for CT scans ordered by the Aquarium vet team. Once these turtles are further diagnosed, they'll continue re... Read More

Have you ever wondered how this coordinated work happens? It begins with N.E.S.T. volunteers on Hatteras Island that patrol the shores when the weather and wind are right to bring cold-stunned turtles to shore. After braving the cold conditions, the volunteers meet at a staging site, where turtles are measured and labeled before hitching a ride to the STAR Center. At the same time, biologists from Cape Hatteras National Seashore are responding to stranded sea turtles on the park property. All... Read More

Because cold-stunned sea turtles need to be warmed at a slow pace, we use our creativity to set up spaces where the temperature can be precisely managed. We have found that our outdoor restrooms, which each have their own heating and cooling systems, are perfect for this! These areas are more easily closed to the public in the off-season, and the groups of sea turtles can be warmed by a few degrees every day. During the first 24 to 48 hours, the turtles rest and receive fluids and wound care... Read More

The Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabiliation Center (STAR) has begun to receive cold-stunned sea turtles from Hatteras Island As of December 19, the STAR Center has received 25 cold-stunned sea turtles. Staff and volunteers expect that there may be more that arrive this week and into the holiday weekend. Cold-stunned sea turtles typically begin to show up on the Outer Banks in late fall or early winter. Once the water temperature in the sound begins to dip below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, ... Read More