Stunned Turtle Rescued In Ocean City Eyes Release

OCEAN CITY — A “cold-stunned” sea turtle rescued in Ocean City in November has completely recovered and is now ready for a re-release in sunny Florida after an extensive rehabilitation at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

The juvenile green sea turtle was rescued in Ocean City by a volunteer with the Marine Animal Rescue Program (MARP) in late November after falling victim to the cold-stunned phenomena that affected thousands of sea turtles up and down the Atlantic coast through much of the winter. Hundreds of sea turtles were discovered on the beaches in the mid-Atlantic region and many were rescued and taken to rehabilitation centers including the National Aquarium.

The sea turtles hit patches of extremely cold water in their typical migratory patterns to warmer climates and the cold water literally stuns them to the point their bodies start to shut down and they wash up on beaches. One of green sea turtles rescued in Ocean City in November, now affectionately known as “Chipper,” has been rehabilitating at the National Aquarium for the last few months and is now fully restored and ready for re-release. Chipper’s name was chosen as part of the aquarium’s pattern this winter to name rescued sea turtles after “Top Gun” movie characters.
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