New England Aquarium Releases Sea Turtle at West Dennis Beach

Families watch the release of a highly endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle by the New England Aquarium Thursday evening at West Dennis Beach.

Families watch the release of a highly endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle by the New England Aquarium Thursday evening at West Dennis Beach.

WEST DENNIS – The New England Aquarium released a sea turtle on Thursday night at West Denis Beach.

The late adolescent Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle washed up on shore in Truro last December and was among the 300 live sea turtles that the New England Aquarium treated from last winter’s cold stunning event on Cape Cod.

When first admitted, the hypothermic turtle was near death with multiple medical complications.

“She was dehydrated, almost unresponsive at in-take,” said Connie Merigo, head of the Aquarium’s rescue team. “The first three days, we were not sure she was going to make it. She didn’t eat for about a month.”

Eventually, her appetite slowly increased, and her weight went from 40 pounds at her rescue to a more robust 55 pounds at release.

Along the way, she battled pneumonia and a chronically abscessed and severely enlarged front flipper as well as an eye infection.

Biologists outfitted the turtle with a satellite tag that will track its movement over the next few months.

The public can also follow its travels at www.seaturtle.org.

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