Day Trips: Center for Wildlife Rescue at the Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi
Gulf Coast wildlife center steps in to rescue cold-stunned sea turtles
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., Jan. 31, 2025
The Center for Wildlife Rescue at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi kicks into high gear when temperatures drop. The staff’s cold-weather mission is to save cold-stunned sea turtles in the Laguna Madre.
Because sea turtles use their environment to regulate their body temperature, when temperatures go below 50 degrees the reptiles become lethargic. Unable to swim, the turtles fall victim to predators, get pounded by waves, or drown, says Jennifer Vela, communications director for the aquarium.
Green sea turtles nest on Texas beaches, and are one of the most numerous sea turtles found along the Texas coast. An endangered species, greens have seen an estimated 90% decline in their population.
In mid-January the center cared for 297 cold-stunned sea turtles, plus another 18 flown in from New England. Although greens can live for 80 years and weigh several hundred pounds, most patients at the warming center were about the size of a dinner plate.
Vela hypothesized that the younger sea turtles had not yet mastered the cues of approaching cold weather.
This January was unusual with two cold snaps back to back, she said. February usually has the most cold events, but winter can extend into March.
As sea turtles arrive at the Center the cold-stunned, injured, and sick turtles are separated. It usually only takes a few hours in the warming room for the healthy turtles to rebound.
The Center for Wildlife Rescue at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi is the largest coastal wildlife rescue and veterinarian facility in Texas. If you see wildlife in distress in the Coastal Bend area, call the Rescue Center at 361/881-1220. The public can tour the center for free on weekends from noon to 4pm, and daily during the summer from 11am to 4pm. There’s no telling what you’ll see happening in the tanks and operating rooms.
1,470th in a series. Everywhere is a day trip from somewhere: Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
