A sea turtle with a shell measuring around 18-24 inches in length was found dead after washing ashore at Cape Disappointment State Park near the North Head cliffs.

Sea turtles ordinarily forage for food in an offshore, warm water current. Weather conditions — such as a long, constant string of south-southwesterly winds — can drive the warm water current and the turtles further north and closer to shore than normal. When the weather conditions suddenly change, the warm waters quickly dissipate and the turtles find themselves trapped in the colder waters of the natural currents running along the Oregon and Washington coast. When this happens, their bodies slow down and they become hypothermic, the Seaside Aquarium said regarding local turtle strandings.

When found on the beach, it can be difficult to determine if a sea turtle is dead or alive. A turtle suffering from extreme hypothermia can be unresponsive to touch and have a heartbeat so slow and weak that it is difficult to detect. Most sea turtles found on Oregon and Washington shores do not survive, even if found and recovered quickly.

Those that do live are taken to one of two licensed rehab facilities on the Northwest Coast; the Oregon Coast Aquarium or the Seattle Aquarium. When stabilized — which, if successful, can take up to a few weeks — the turtle is transferred to a center in California, where it will be released back into the wild.

Though the Washington-Oregon coast may see as many as five different species of sea turtle, the most commonly found is the olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea).

If you do happen to come across a sea turtle on either an Oregon or Washington beach, contact the closest aquarium — the number for the Seaside Aquarium is 503-738-6211 — state police, or the marine mammal stranding network. If possible, stay with the turtle until someone can respond. Do not move or touch the turtle unless advised to do so by a stranding official.