By Kate Hruby, Communication and Education Coordinator
A loggerhead sea turtle that was in care in the spring of 2024.
When someone says “sea turtle,” the environment conjured in many minds is a tropical turquoise ocean - not the rugged Pacific Northwest. Yet sea turtles can occur throughout the North Pacific. Several species spend years of their life swimming around the Pacific ocean, like loggerheads, leatherbacks, and green sea turtles. But while the open ocean is a natural habitat for these animals, our Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia beaches are not.
A map of sea turtle species ranges in North Pacific.
Sea turtles are marine reptiles, meaning their body temperature is dictated by the environment around them. A normal temperature for sea turtles is around 75°F, which is why they tend to stay in warmer offshore currents, even if they do meander northward. But occasionally, those warm areas can dissipate, or a turtle can get pushed off course during a storm. If that happens, they get stuck in colder water and become “cold stunned.” Lethargic, and unable to swim or dive, they can wash up on shore.
Over the last several years, there has been an increase in turtle strandings in the Pacific Northwest. SR3 alone admitted four sea turtles in 2024, while previous years had only seen one sea turtle come into care. We also admitted a loggerhead, a species that we had not previously cared for in the four seasons the Rescue Center has been open to patients.
Sea turtle strandings by species and year. This data is from 1989 to Feb. 2023, and includes live and dead strandings in Washington, Oregon and California. Data from NOAA.
Loggerheads are a rare species to see in this region. By February 2023, only 13 loggerheads had stranded, both alive and dead, since 1990. In 2024, additional strandings were added to that number, including the one that was rehabilitated at SR3.
As climate change touches every aspect of our environment, we can continue to expect the unexpected. Ocean warming can impact currents, storms, prey patterns, and other vital ocean conditions, making it harder for certain species and their usual life history patterns. For sea turtles, if you ever see one on shore in Washington or Oregon, it needs emergency medical care to survive. As threatened and endangered species, every individual is critical to the population, and SR3 stands ready all year long to help any in need, giving them a second chance to return to warmer waters.