WVI Veterinary Partner, Matthew Rendle RVN, was at the 44th International Sea Turtle Society Symposium in Hawaii last month.

Following Matt’s successful proposal to the ISTS to facilitate a workshop on cold-stunned turtles as part of the event, he teamed up with Maxine Montello of the New York Marine Rescue Center, and Adam Kennedy of the New England Aquarium, both of whom have decades worth of experience of cold-stunning, to make it a reality.

This is the first time the symposium had dedicated a workshop to the issue, which is of increasing relevance here in the UK as more and more cold-stunned turtles are becoming stranded on our coast and those of other Atlantic-facing European countries.

We were delighted by the great turnout for the workshop, which was an opportunity to discuss the critical care and painstaking rehabilitation needed to save turtles that have typically been diverted off course into colder water by unusual weather. Severe storms, strong winds or powerful currents can spell disaster for some species.

Encountering water below 10 degrees Celsius can cause their heart rate to slow to as little as one beat a minute; they become lethargic and lose the ability to swim, leaving them adrift until they are washed ashore in a critical condition, suffering from traumatic wounds, pneumonia, starvation, and other health issues.

The workshop gave delegates real insight into what is required in these complex cases.

While Maxine and Adam have been seeing the phenomenon for decades, it is only now becoming a significant issue in the UK, with the number of cold-stunned sea turtles washing up on our shores tripling since 2022, most likely as the impacts of climate change become more widely felt.

We are very grateful to the ISTS for making the workshop a reality and helping equip rehabilitators likely to encounter affected turtles.

Matthew Rendle RVN was also delighted to have the opportunity to share his experience of sea turtle nutrition, as part of the 15th Sea Turtle Rehabilitation and Medicine Workshop during the symposium. A big thank you to organiser Daniela Freggi, Director of the Lampedusa Turtle Rescue, for the invitation to be part of the workshop.

All in all, a great event for everyone working to secure a safe and sustainable future for these incredible animals.

We’ll be sharing news soon of an exciting upcoming event in the UK, involving a full day of talks from sea turtle experts and a bonus VIP experience.

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