Sea Turtles Rescued in Barnstable

BARNSTABLE – The Barnstable Natural Resources staff and volunteers in the Town of Barnstable have rescued 67 turtles over the past few days.

Due to recent heavy winds out of the northeast, turtles have been ending up on Sandy Neck beach and in Barnstable Harbor.

The winds have died down as of late and the Natural Resources staff is not expecting any additional turtles in the coming days.

Most of the rescued turtles have been alive and in good shape.

If you find a cold-stunned turtle, it is important to recover it as quickly as possible and to not assume the turtle is dead as turtles that appear lifeless are often still alive.

After recovering the animal, it is advised to follow these steps:

1. Move the turtle above the high tide line and never grab or hold the turtle by the head or flippers.
2. Cover it with dry seaweed or wrack.
3. Mark it with an obvious piece of debris such as buoys, driftwood, or branches.
4. Call the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary hotline at 508-349-2615, extension 6104.

Sea turtles are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act; as such, it is illegal to harass sea turtles or transport them without a permit.