A sea turtle undergoes rehabilitation at the Sea Turtle Hospital. Photo credit: New England Aquarium
BOSTON – The New England Aquarium has announced that it has treated over 450 live sea turtles during the 2025 stranding season, with new patients arriving daily.
The stranding season began on November 7 with the discovery of a stranded turtle on First Encounter Beach, and intake numbers steadily rose thereafter from late November into early December before a recent reprieve.
In total, 404 Kemp’s ridleys, 21 loggerheads, and 48 green sea turtles have been treated for hypothermia and other conditions related to cold-stunning, with 84 currently in treatment at the Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy.
Sea turtles receive treatment under the care of Aquarium staff. Photo credit: New England Aquarium
“This is when the next stage of rehabilitation work here at the New England Aquarium starts: the expert care of extremely debilitated sea turtles,” said Adam Kennedy, the Aquarium’s Director of Rescue and Rehabilitation.
“We’re now transitioning from triaging hundreds of turtles to concentrating on the individualized care of each animal,” he said.
As long-term rehabilitation plans are laid out for each individual and new arrivals continue to stress capacity, many turtles will be transferred to partner organizations to continue healing before their eventual release back into the Atlantic.
“These turtles have endured incredibly harsh weather conditions and require very close monitoring, detailed care, and treatments to survive and eventually be released back into the wild,” said Senior Veterinarian Dr. Kathy Tuxbury. “Everyone is rooting for every single turtle that comes through our doors.”
“It takes a village,” she said, “to help these animals.”
Donations are currently being accepted by the Aquarium’s Mission Forward Fund to support continued rehab and conservation efforts by the Aquarium. To donate, click here.
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