It’s turtles all the way down the line off the coast of Cape Cod after officials say they’ve rehabilitated and released four endangered sea turtles into the wild.
The Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, named Bucatini, Bavette, Kluski, and Gnocci, underwent treatment for hypothermia-related conditions after becoming stranded in the cold waters off Cape Cod Bay in December 2022, according to the New England Aquarium. Officials say these turtles were unable to regulate their body temperatures and as a result, suffered from pneumonia, which caused very serious eye and skin infections.
On Wednesday, following a physical examination earlier in the month, the four turtles were cleared to return to the Nantucket Sound.
“Being able to care for these critically endangered turtles throughout the year and ensure they have a chance to return to the ocean is something we’re extremely proud of as a conservation organization,” said Adam Kennedy, Director of Rescue and Rehabilitation at the Aquarium.
“These turtles are able to recover from extremely serious injuries, infections and metabolic imbalances. They never cease to amaze me,” said New England Aquarium Senior Veterinarian Dr. Kathy Tuxbury.
Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are considered a critically endangered species due to fishing threats, climate change, ocean pollution and degradation of habitat, according to wildlife officials. The New England Aquarium, in partnership with the Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries Service, helps to protect and rescue turtles in need during the cold-stunning season.
In fact, officials say they treated over 500 live sea turtles that were rescued just in the fall of 2022.
“These four Kemp’s ridleys join the nearly 5,000 sea turtles our New England Aquarium team has helped rehabilitate and release over the past 25 years,” Kennedy said.
For more information about the aquarium’s rescue and rehabilitation efforts for these turtles, click here.
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