WEST DENNIS, Mass. — In the final release of the season, rehabilitators sent two endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles back into the wild on Thursday after 8 months of care.
The New England Aquarium (NEAQ) says these two turtles, “Sopresine” and “Rotelle”, were rescued off of Cape Cod in December 2022 after becoming cold-stunned.
Cold stunning occurs when water temperatures drop below 50 degrees where sea turtles are present, according to NOAA Fisheries.
The pair were suffering from severe hypothermia-related medical conditions and needed numerous antibiotic and antifungal medications. In fact, Rotelle was one of the most critical cases of this stranding season, according to officials, after developing bacterial sepsis and bone infections.
With round-the-clock care provided by NEAQ, both turtles made a full recovery and now have strong appetites.
“These two sea turtles clearly demonstrate how, despite their severe life-threatening illnesses and the many associated challenges, they can fully recover when given a chance,” said Dr. Kathy Tuxbury, senior veterinarian at the Aquarium. Rotelle has a satellite tag attached to his shell, which will provide information about his feeding and travel habits.
Video shows the duo being released into the Nantucket Sound waters, thus putting a bow on 2022 cold-stunning season.
During that time, aquarium staff say they treated 518 live sea turtles. Those that needed further care were transferred to secondary rehab facilities, while those with more severe injuries, like Sopresine and Rotelle, remained at the New England Aquarium long-term.
The number of cold-stunned sea turtle stranded in the Bay State has steadily increased from year to year.
In 2000, wildlife officials rescued 50 stranded turtles. That number increased to more than 700 in 2021. Researchers predict that number will climb into the thousands by 2031.
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