DENNIS – Three endangered sea turtles that had stranded on Cape Cod last winter were released on Wednesday at West Dennis Beach.
“Gusty”, “Swell” and “Geyser” were found with hypothermia and other life-threatening medical conditions and were rehabilitated at the New England Aquarium’s sea turtle hospital in Quincy.
Hundreds of people gathered around the water to watch as all three made their way into the water.
“It’s probably the best part of the whole process because we get to see them go back in,” said New England Aquarium Senior Biologist Linda Laurie.
The two loggerhead and one Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles were among the last of more than 300 cold-stunned turtles rescued last year by the staff and volunteers of the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.
Most of the cold-stunned sea turtles were rehabbed and released in southern states late last winter or early this spring.
“Gusty” is a 92 pound loggerhead that was found on Linnell Beach in Brewster on December 10.
“Swell”, an 85 pound loggerhead, was found washed up on Silver Springs Beach in Eastham on Christmas Day.
Ellen Scott, a volunteer with Mass Audubon, was one of the first to discover “Swell” and drove the turtle from the beach.
She said she it was emotional to watch the turtle return to the water.
“Being released is kind of the happiest day of my life, just to know that they made it,” said Scott.
“Geyser”, a 20 pound Kemp’s Ridley, was stranded on Millway Beach in Barnstable on November 27.
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