24 endangered sea turtles recovering in Florida after cold stunning off Cape Cod

JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Two dozen Kemp's ridley sea turtles are rehabilitating in Florida after the frigid waters off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, left them struggling with frostbite, pneumonia and abrasions.

The 24 endangered sea turtles arrived at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida, on Dec. 9, thanks to the nonprofit organization LightHawk. Last year, the center welcomed another bunch of cold-stunned turtles that were released into the Atlantic months later.

They are expected to remain at the facility until spring, when they'll be released into the Atlantic Ocean to make their way back to New England, said Heather Barron, chief science officer and veterinarian at Loggerhead.

She said the turtles suffered from a conditioned called cold stunning, which requires treatment with antibiotics, fluids and nebulization.

Cold stunning occurs in extremely frigid temperatures and causes the cold-blooded sea turtles to become lethargic and lose mobility, and Kemp's ridley, loggerhead and green sea turtles are typically affected.

The turtles migrate north in the summer and many get stuck while heading south in the hooked peninsula of Cape Cod, according to a New England Aquarium fact sheet. As the ocean temperatures drop, the turtles become lethargic, emaciated and hypothermic. They begin washing ashore, where volunteers rescue them and take them to the sea turtle hospital.

A number of turtles were sent to Florida to relieve overcrowding at the New England Aquarium, said Pam Bechtold Snyder, director of marketing and communications for the Boston facility. Most of those turtles were stranded during a strong westerly wind event on Nov. 28 and went through the triage process at the Boston facility, Snyder said.

They were sent to Florida to make room for more turtles coming in from Cape Cod, she said. So far during the annual cold-stunning phenomenon that began on Nov. 7, they've treated 472 hypothermic turtles.

The hospital staff works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service to transfer the turtles to various sea turtle hospitals, including Loggerhead, Snyder said.

“These guys are very critically ill when they get here, and they are undergoing extensive treatment,” Barron said of the turtles sent to Juno Beach. “They’re getting nebulized where they actually breathe in medicine. That helps their lungs do their job better.”

When turtles arrive in groups at Loggerhead, the staff gives them names, following a theme, Barron said.

"And in this case, it is Greek mythology,” Barron said. "So we have Pandora and Gaia and Persephone and Helios and all those guys.”

Frisaro reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A Kemps Ridley sea turtle swims in a tank at Loggerhead Marinelife Center Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Juno Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Cody Jackson)

A Kemps Ridley sea turtle swims in a tank at Loggerhead Marinelife Center Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Juno Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Cody Jackson)

Staff at Loggerhead Marinelife Center care for a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Juno Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Cody Jackson)

Dr. Heather Barron cares for a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Juno Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Cody Jackson)

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Veteran Usman Khawaja has missed selection to Australia's team for the third Ashes test against England with Travis Head kept at the top of the batting lineup with Jake Weatherald.

Just two days away from his 39th birthday, Khawaja was a notable omission Tuesday from Australia’s XI for the test beginning Wednesday at Adelaide Oval.

Australia leads the five-test series 2-0 and can retain the Ashes with a win or draw in Adelaide. England named its team Monday.

Captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon will return to the bowling attack at the expense of Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser, while the top seven is unchanged.

That means Josh Inglis will remain in the side at No. 7, while Khawaja was not included after missing the Brisbane test with back spasms.

Khawaja had enjoyed one of the great late-career resurgences since his recall to the test team at the start of 2022, starring at the top of the order. He averaged 58.7 in his first two years back in the side, but has now passed 50 just twice in his past 27 test innings.

Cummins said he doesn't feel Khawaja is finished as a test player.

“The selectors have been quite adamant about picking a side each week,” Cummins said. "It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s got to be exactly the same team as the previous week. We do that with bowlers.

“One of Uzzy’s great strengths is he’s scored runs at the top. He’s scored runs in the middle. So absolutely, I can see a path back at some point, if needed.”

Steve Smith was the first in the nets to bat on Tuesday after missing Monday’s session due to an unspecified illness. Smith captained Australia in the first two test victories due to Cummins’ injury absence.

Cummins, playing his first test since mid-July in the West Indies, predicted Australia will be even better in the Adelaide test as it tries to wrap up the Ashes.

“It feels like everything has come together and we’re not just hanging on until the end of the series, which sometimes you are," Cummins said Tuesday. “We’re actually peaking and hopefully have heaps of resources available.”

Lineups:

Australia: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australia's Pat Cummins, centre, talks with teammates before start of the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Jake Weatherald, left, and Australia's captain Steve Smith walk off the field after winning the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Australia's Travis Head plays a shot during the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)