Aquarium releases rehabilitated sea turtles on Cape Cod

Caregivers from the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital released three critically endangered turtles back into the wild on Thursday after providing the animals with several months of rehabilitation.

The Kemp’s Ridley turtles, named Foxglove, Peony, and Marigold, were treated at the Quincy Sea Turtle Hospital over the last nine months after becoming stranded in mid-December.

Aquarium officials said the turtles suffered from the effects of cold stunning, which, according to NOAA Fisheries, causes sea turtles to become weak and inactive from exposure to water temperatures below 50 Fahrenheit. 

The animals underwent treatment for hypothermia-related conditions, including pneumonia, dehydration, and emaciation. Aquarium officials said the complications were due to the turtles’ inability to regulate their body temperature in the cold waters of Cape Cod Bay.

Staff veterinarians cleared the sea turtles to return to Nantucket Sound off West Dennis Beach. Their caregivers sent them off on Thursday as crowds of curious onlookers watched.

Foxglove, Peony, and Marigold got their names from aquarium staff, volunteers, and interns, who have a tradition of naming the turtles receiving long-term care. 

Aquarium officials said they treated 394 sea turtles during the 2023 cold-stunning season. All of them were rescued from the Cape Cod shore in November and December when staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary scoured the shores for the injured animals. 

“Getting these turtles back to health requires a collaborative effort between biologists, veterinarians, and researchers, all of whom work tirelessly with the turtles during the rehabilitation effort and continues for some, even after their release,” the Aquarium said in a news release. 

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are an endangered species. They face threats from commercial fishing, climate change, ocean pollution, and habitat degradation. Experts say rescue and rehabilitation efforts are vital to conserving the species.

 “As we complete our final release of the summer, we immediately transition to prepare for the upcoming stranding season,” said Linda Lory, Rescue and Rehabilitation Manager at the Aquarium. “There is always more work to be done and more turtles to be rescued.”