The New England Aquarium has been treating a growing number of hypothermic sea turtles after warmer ocean temperatures delayed the start of the annual stranding season along Cape Cod.
The turtles began to strand along Cape Cod 10 days ago. Staff and volunteers from the Massachusetts Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary have been walking the beaches in search of cold-stunned turtles and transporting the animals to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy — where they get treated for life-threatening medical conditions resulting from hypothermia.
So far this season, Aquarium staffers have treated 170 sea turtles — 133 critically endangered Kemp’s ridley turtles and 37 green turtles.
“In years past, cold-stunned sea turtles would begin to wash ashore in late October,” said Adam Kennedy, director of Rescue and Rehabilitation. “Milder weather means the waters of Cape Cod Bay are staying warmer for a prolonged period of time, which we believe could be a sign of climate change’s impact on the Gulf of Maine.”
When the turtles get to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital, the animals are evaluated through a physical exam, bloodwork, X-rays, and tests for their heart and respiratory rates. Many of the turtles suffer from dehydration and pneumonia.
“All of our sea turtle patients receive individualized care based on their condition,” said Director of Animal Health Charles Innis. “Depending on the severity, turtles may need weeks, months, and sometimes more than a year of treatment before they are at a point where we can clear them for release back into the ocean.”
The Aquarium works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries Service, the nonprofit Turtles Fly Too, and other partners to help transport and rehabilitate the animals.
To make room for new cold-stunned turtles at the Sea Turtle Hospital, some stabilized turtles are transported to secondary rehab facilities, where they continue to get treatment before being released into the ocean.
Volunteer pilots with Turtles Fly Too began transport flights on Sunday — flying more than 40 turtles from the New England Aquarium and National Marine Life Center to the South Carolina Aquarium, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society in New York.
Another 12 turtles made their way to Mystic Aquarium last week. Other more critical turtles remain at the New England Aquarium, where many will complete their full rehab process before being released next summer.
The number of annual cold-stunned sea turtle strandings in Massachusetts varies from year to year, but has steadily increased from around 50 in 2000 to more than 700 last year.
