A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle in treatment at the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital. Photo credit: Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium
HYANNIS – As sea turtle stranding season picks up steam, the New England Aquarium has announced that it is treating over 200 sea turtles suffering from hypothermic conditions at its Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy.
Turtles began washing ashore in November, and staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary are scouring beaches in search of turtles in distress.
The vast majority of arrivals have comprised of endangered Kemp’s ridley turtles, which make up 189 of the 214 turtles undergoing treatment, but among them are also 19 green turtles and six loggerheads.
In a rare event, several turtles washed up as far ashore as Hull and Hingham, which turtle experts said could reflect a widening range for the scaled reptiles.
“This sea turtle stranding season has gotten off to a later start than the past few years,” said Adam Kennedy, Director of Rescue and Rehabilitation at the New England Aquarium.
“We are ramping up now and have seen 134 turtles in just the past five days. Whether it is one or 100 turtles in a given day, our team at the New England Aquarium is ready to help give these turtles the best shot of being returned home.”
As space in the hospital fills up, turtles further along in the rehabilitative process will be moved to secondary rehabilitation facilities, such as North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, to await their return to sea in the warmer months.
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