What is a cold stun?
Cold Stun events happen when the water gets too cold for sea turtles to maintain their body temperature. As a result, sea turtles are awake but unable to move or swim. If they aren’t rescued in time, they will drown from being unable to lift their head to draw breath
Once rescued from the water or shoreline, we bring cold-stunned patients back to our facility to slowly and safely increase their body temperature. When environmental conditions and water temperatures stabilize, we release the rescued patients back into the Gulf.
Find a stranding sea turtle call us immediately to our 24/7 number 956-243-4361
How you can help
Donate
The best way to help is to donate to our mission. Your donation helps us execute our emergency response action plan during cold stunning events on South Padre Island.
Volunteer
During a cold stun, we rely heavily on our community to help rescue and transport sea turtles back to our facility. We are looking for volunteers for foot patrols, car transport, and boat captains to assist with water search and rescue.
Amazon Wishlist
Our Amazon Wish List contains vital items that help our staff prepare and respond to environmental emergencies.
Foot Patrol Areas
📞 Found a turtle? Call immediately: 956-243-4361 Please wait for instructions on how to proceed.
Where to Look:
This is a bay side event. Please reference the map for foot patrol areas across South Padre Island / Port Isabel / Laguna Vista / Long Island Village.
What to Look For: Check the shoreline, sea walls, and surrounding waters.
Look for turtles that are:
Floating at the surface
Bobbing against sea walls
Washed ashore
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Media Inquires & Resources
2025 Cold Stun Press Release