Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

~ John W. Howell
Captain Brandon Upton rescuing turtles – credit Sea Tow Corpus Christi, via Facebook

 

As a former Gulf dweller this story struck home and comes from the Good News Network.

Man Saves Boatloads Of ‘Stunned’ Animals After He Spotted Shadows in the Waves

By

Andy Corbley–

From Corpus Christi comes the story of a commercial mariner who developed a passion for saving lives—cold, imperiled, and scaly lives.

It started in 2018, when Captain Brandon Upton was out in the Gulf waters on a particularly chilly afternoon. He saw a dark shadow floating nearby.

As the owner and operator of Sea Tow, a boating assistance company, Upton thought he had seen everything the Gulf of Mexico could conjure. But soon, he saw more dark shapes, and then even more.

He realized to his shock that they were sea turtles.

“I didn’t touch it, because I know they are endangered and protected,” Upton told the Dodo. “On my way in, I saw more and more sea turtles and was very confused. In all my years on the water, I had never seen anything like it.”

Rather than take any actions himself, Upton did the right thing and contacted the relevant animal authorities—in this case, the ecologists at San Padre Island National Seashore, who explained the turtles had been cold-stunned.

Cold-stunning is a normal phenomenon in which the cold-blooded turtles fall into a comatose state if the seawater temperatures fall below 56°F. Their heart rate and metabolism plummets, and they float, incapable of moving. This puts them at risk for boat strikes, drowning, and even land predators if the tide and surf should take them onto the beach.

Every winter since then, Upton has remained vigilant for potential cold-stunning events. If the water temperatures start to fall too low, Upton will bring an airboat to tow alongside him, into which he will toss any sea turtles he finds.

“While sea turtle rescue typically requires special training, we started in an emergency situation,” Upton said. “We picked up two or three boatloads of floating turtles that very first day.”

San Padre Island workers receive these cold-stunned animals and place them in a rehabilitation center where their bodies are gradually warmed up to the temperatures needed to restart their systems. Then they’re released.

Upton described his 7 years of pro bono help as “only natural” since he carries around a lot of specialized equipment that makes rescuing turtles easy and is a proud part of the close-knit boating community.

He’s an animal lover to boot, and whether it’s “taking a spider outside” or helping cold-stunned turtles, he considers them all like a second family.

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Published by John W. Howell

I have been working in business for over forty years and now have the time to work in special areas of interest. My passion has always been to create compelling stories of fiction. I have authored six novels and am working on my Seventh. The first novel is still in manuscript form and being utilized as a door stop in the laundry room. The second is a contemporary fiction novel of 89,000 words and is complete and I am currently seeking a publisher. I also write poetry but have not had the guts to share any with anyone. The one time I read a piece to a person their only comment was, “it doesn’t rhyme.” I will continue to write and hopefully my blog, Fiction Favorites at www.johnwhowell.com will provide some entertainment and an interesting thought or two. I live in the Austin area with my wife Molly and an assortment of loving pets.

80 thoughts on “Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News”

  5. One of the interesting conversations I’ve heard this winter/spring among fishing guides and charter captains in the midcoast area has been about the relatively few stunned turtles they’ve come across. For whatever reason, the numbers were down. That said, it’s great to know how many people are aware of the issue and are willing to help out when necessary.

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Fantastic share, John. I loved that story included enough to detail how and why it happened, as well as the solution. After hearing, “Did I say that?” on the news, I really needed this today.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. The things we learn! That these poor creatures can be made so vulnerable this way. What a wonderful man to take this on and get the help needed to save these turtles.

    Another winner, John.

    Liked by 2 people

  27. Interesting stuff, John. I was curious and asked Google more about cold-stunning.

    If not rescued and properly treated, animals that are cold-stunned often do not survive for long, usually dying within a short period due to complications from hypothermia, exposure, or predation; however, with prompt intervention and rehabilitation, many cold-stunned animals, particularly sea turtles, can recover and live long, healthy lives once water temperatures rise again.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. Oh gosh, have never heard of cold-stunning before. Thanks for spreading info about it and for Captain Brandon. This definitely falls in the good news category.

    P.S. You know of course, your reference to the “Gulf of Mexico” may land you in trouble. Bravo for calling it like it really is!

    Liked by 1 person

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