Environment & Climate

Cold temperatures prompt animal rescues in Central Florida and beyond

Central Florida Public Media | By Molly Duerig

Published February 4, 2026 at 6:20 PM EST

Sixteen large green sea turtles were recently rescued from cold waters in Titusville, including some turtles with visible signs of cold stress on their shells and skin. The turtles are being rehabilitated at SeaWorld Orlando and will be returned to their natural habitat once they’re healthy.

Unusually cold temperatures in the Sunshine State are prompting animal rescues, including in Central Florida, where the National Weather Service recently reported record-breaking low daily temperatures.

At SeaWorld Orlando, rescue teams are working to rehabilitate 16 large green sea turtles that were recently cold-stunned in Titusville. There, on Sunday, a NWS weather station recorded the area’s lowest average daily temperature ever on that date, 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

Teams at SeaWorld Orlando are working with FWC to rehabilitate 16 large green sea turtles that were recently rescued from cold waters in Titusville.

Some of the rescued turtles had visible signs of stress on their shell and skin, according to SeaWorld. The turtles will remain under care at the park until they’re healthy again, and when water conditions improve. Then, they'll be returned to their natural habitat. SeaWorld representatives say the park is working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Trained experts working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on January 29 rescued two young manatees that were experiencing cold stress in Bear Creek, St. Petersburg. The manatees were taken to the Mote Marine Laboratory for rehabilitation.

FWC rescue teams have also been hard at work across the state, responding to cases of live, cold-stressed manatees. So far, most of that work is happening along Florida’s Gulf coast, according to the agency.

FWC is closely monitoring the effects of the cold weather, said Kelly Richmond, a spokeswoman for the agency’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, via email. Although several cold stress-related manatee deaths have been documented, it's still too early to tell if the recent extreme cold will trigger any spike in manatee mortality.

“There is usually a 2-week delay in rise in mortality, if any, after such events,” Richmond wrote.

Manatees are exposed to cold stress every winter, when water temperatures drop into the 60’s. Most will seek refuge in warmer waters, like freshwater springs and power plant discharge areas.

“When viewing manatees at these sites, it is important to give them space. Disturbing manatees can cause them to leave protected warm water areas and swim into potentially life-threatening cold water,” Richmond wrote.

Both of the two young manatees rescued by FWC staff and partners on January 29 were of good body weight, but had visible cold stress lesions, according to the state agency. The manatees were rescued from cold waters in Bear Creek, St. Petersburg, and taken to the Mote Marine Laboratory for rehabilitation.

Average Florida winters should not cause high numbers of cold stress-related manatee deaths. But extreme cold can lead to unusually high mortality, Richmond said via email. That happened in 2010 and 2011.

“Malnutrition can also make manatees more vulnerable during the winter such as during the starvation event from 2020-2022,” Richmond wrote.

Between December 2020 and April 2022, 1,255 manatees died along Florida’s Atlantic coast in what federal officials ultimately declared to be an Unusual Mortality Event. The primary cause was starvation, caused by a historic loss of seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon. But cold temperatures exacerbated the situation, with peak manatee strandings recorded during the UME’s winter months.

Last March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially closed out the UME.

Since 2023, manatees in the lagoon have been in much better nutritional condition, due to a recovery of seagrass. “As long as they have access to warm water, there is no added concern compared to manatees in the rest of the State,” Richmond said via email.

FWC is coordinating closely with members of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership to make room for rehabilitating the rescued manatees, according to the agency.

Members of the public can help manatee rescue teams by reporting any sick, distressed, or deceased manatees they see to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).