An Arctic blast to Florida required state officials to pull off one insane mission

Jan 31, 2025

Florida was hit with a massive winter storm that brought snow and freezing temperatures. 

That left the state scrambling to respond to the freak weather. 

And an Arctic blast to Florida required state officials to pull off one insane mission. 

Florida Wildlife officials rescue sea turtles stunned by the cold 

A winter storm brought freezing temperatures and a historic amount of snow to parts of the Florida panhandle. 

The storm dumped six to eight inches of snow on parts of the panhandle. 

Pensacola smashed its previous record of three inches of snow with eight inches from the storm. 

The once-in-a-century winter storm was not just a shock to Florida residents. 

Wildlife was not used to dealing with this type of cold weather. 

Sea turtles can experience a cold stun when the temperature in the Gulf of America dips below 50 degrees. 

These cold-blooded reptiles have no way of warming themselves up in extreme cold. 

60 to 80 degrees is the ideal water temperature for sea turtles. 

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wildlife officers jumped into action to rescue sea turtles in Gulf County. 

“When water temps dip to 50 degrees or below, sea turtles can become weak and unable to swim, floating listlessly in the water or near shore,” Florida Fish and Wildlife officials wrote. “Keep in mind that cold-stunned turtles can appear to be dead but often are still alive.”

Two wildlife officers managed to recover 30 sea turtles that were stunned by the cold. 

The pair traveled around in a boat and collected the seemingly lifeless turtles. 

“Their hard work exemplifies the spirit of dedication to our mission to protect wildlife for their long-term success,” Florida Fish and Wildlife stated. 

The wildlife officers are Marine Turtle Permit Holders who are specially trained to deal with sea turtles that are protected under Florida law. 

A turtle rescue mission was launched after the cold snap 

“Our officers, staff, and partners are still working diligently to search and rescue cold-stunned sea turtles across our northwest coastlines,” Florida Fish and Wildlife said in a statement. 

The turtles are taken to a rescue facility where they are gradually able to warm up. 

Some of the turtles with pre-existing health issues will have a longer recovery. 

Once they are back to normal and the temperature in the Gulf of America becomes warm enough, they will be released back into the wild near where they were found. 

They are released back into the wild with a microchip so that researchers can keep track of them. 

Sea turtles are not the only animals in Florida affected by the historic winter storm. 

Manatees need to be in water warmer than 68 degrees to survive. 

They travel inland to natural hot springs and to waters near power plants that are heated by the runoff. 

Green iguanas in Florida can also suffer from being cold-stunned in freezing weather. 

These invasive reptiles have been known to fall out of trees and land on people after they have become stunned. 

Cold weather in Florida upends the lives of residents and the state’s wildlife. 

DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this story.

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