New England Aquarium Rescues Stranded Turtles
Photo credit: The Boston Globe
Normally the news of animal strandings is bad news. But for 45 turtles that reached the shore in the Cape Cod area, being stranded on those beaches saved their lives.
The dozens of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were rescued by Mass Audubon and taken to the Quincy Anima Care Center, part of the New England Aquarium.
At the center, the turtles are being treated for hypothermia and rehabilitated.
Photo credit: The Boston Globe
Aquarium spokesman Tony LaCasse told the Boston Globe, “In this case, stranding . . . is their only life-saving option.”
He added that without intervention, the turtles would not have survived.
The Quincy Animal Care Center took in 28 of those sea turtles in one day. That’s the most the center has rescued in a single 24 hours since 1999.
LaCasse assured that even though those numbers are high this year, the strandings are not unusual. An average of 90 animals are rescued in the Cape area each year.
They enter the bay in the summer to eat, and may get confused when it comes time to migrate south.
“Many get on the north side of the Cape, and that is a really tricky navigation problem,” LaCasse said. Especially since exiting the bay requires a 25 mile swim north.
Photo credit: The Boston Globe
Of all the turtles rescued this November, six died shortly after they were transported to the Quincy Animal Care Center.
The turtles at the center are treated for three to 10 months, slowly warmed each day, and later released into Florida or Georgia waters. Some suffering from pneumonia may be treated a little longer.
The New England Aquarium in Boston is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the American Association of Museums.
Read more in this report from the Boston Globe.
