WATCH: New England Aquarium Releases 3 Rehabilitated Kemp’s Ridley Turtles into Ocean Waters off Cape Cod

After months undergoing rehabilitative care at the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, three critically endangered sea turtles are back in ocean waters off Cape Cod after fully recovering from their life-threatening injuries.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are an endangered species, facing threats including fisheries interactions, climate change, ocean pollution, and degradation of their habitats. Rescue and rehabilitation efforts help to conserve this species.

After stranding and suffering from the side effects of cold stunning in the winter months, these turtles spent several months at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA. They underwent treatment for hypothermia-related conditions including pneumonia, dehydration, and emaciation, all results of being unable to regulate their body temperature in the cold waters of Cape Cod Bay last fall and winter. After physical examinations, staff veterinarians cleared the sea turtles to return to Nantucket Sound off West Dennis Beach.

“As we complete our final release of the summer, we immediately transition to prepare for the upcoming stranding season” said Linda Lory, Rescue and Rehabilitation Manager at the Aquarium. “There is always more work to be done and more turtles to be rescued.”

During the 2023 cold-stunning season, the Aquarium treated 394 live sea turtles that were rescued from the shores of Cape Cod in November and December by staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Getting these turtles back to health requires a collaborative effort between biologists, veterinarians and researchers, all of whom work tirelessly with the turtles during the rehabilitation effort and continues for some, even after their release.

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About Grady Culhane

Grady Culhane is a Cape Cod native from Eastham. He studied media communications at Cape Cod Community College and joined the CapeCod.com News Center in 2019. Host of Sunday Journal.



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