Cold stunning of sea turtles occurs when cold-blooded animals are trapped in cold water. Mass stranding events require coordinated welfare responses from rescue organisations.
Cold-stunned turtles experience profound physiological distress from hypothermia, metabolic shutdown, and immune failure. Without intervention, beached turtles die from predation, dehydration, or pneumonia. The rescue and rehabilitation process is welfare-positive but must be carefully managed - rapid rewarming causes shock. Climate change is expanding the geographic range of cold stunning events as water temperatures become more variable.