This Rudolph isn’t a reindeer. He’s a sea turtle. He will not be leading his pals through the Christmas Eve sky. But maybe he will lead them back out to sea one day.

Rudolph and 51 other Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles were flown from Massachusetts to Florida last week. Why? They got stunned!

The reptiles lived in waters off New England. The sea grew too chilly for them. They floated at the surface. They couldn’t eat or dive. Marika Weber says cold-stunned turtles “eventually wash up on shore.” Ms. Weber is a vet technician at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida.

At first, rescuers took the turtles to New England Aquarium in Massachusetts. But there was “no room in the inn.” The aquarium was overwhelmed with more than 200 sea turtles. All had cold stun. That’s why 52 were sent to Florida.

Caretakers gave some of the turtles holiday names. Blitzen, Dasher, Dancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid joined Rudolph. Other turtles are Dreidel, Zawadi, Grinch, and Elf. (A dreidel is a traditional Hanukkah toy. Zawadi means “gift” in Swahili.)

Guests can visit and watch the turtles heal. In time, the animals will return to their natural habitat.

2023 has been a great year for turtles despite the chill. People found more than 133,840 loggerhead turtle nests in Florida. They also located 76,500 nests made by green turtles. South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia also saw high turtle numbers.

Praise the Lord from the Earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps. — Psalm 148:7