17 rehabilitated sea turtles released off Cape Cod

Amidst an excited crowd, 17 endangered and threatened sea turtles were released into the refreshing waters off Cape Cod earlier this month. Nine Kemp’s ridleys, five loggerheads, and three green sea turtles were among the first group of rescued sea turtles rehabilitated at the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, Massachusetts.

All three of these sea turtle species are considered threatened or endangered. Their primary threats in the wild include getting caught in fishing gear or nets, climate change, ocean pollution, and further degradation of their habitats. 

The turtles were all hypothermic when admitted to the Sea Turtle Hospital for a variety of life-threatening medical conditions, including pneumonia, dehydration, and trauma. All 17 of the reptiles were cleared to return to Nantucket Sound from West Dennis Beach. The water temperature in this southern part of Cape Cod recently crossed the 65-degree Fahrenheit threshold needed for the turtles to reacclimate to life in the ocean.

Additionally, the staff at the aquarium, volunteers, and interns have a tradition of naming the turtles receiving long-term care along the same theme. This year’s theme is Greek mythology and the turtles released this week include Aphrodhite, Oceanus, Helen, Athena, and Tyche. Named after the Greek goddess of fortune, Tyche recently gained some internet fame after a dramatic reveal showing how well they healed from a significant facial injury.

“As we complete the first sea turtle release of the season, it’s a powerful reminder of the impact of this rescue and rehabilitation work,” Adam Kennedy, Director of Rescue and Rehabilitation at the Aquarium, said in a statement. “We dedicate months to the turtles’ recovery and take pride in seeing them return to the waters off Cape Cod. Our conservation and research efforts are helping ensure these species remain part of our ocean for years to come.”

Scientists from the Aquarium’s research arm–the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life– also worked with the team to tag 10 of the turtles for post-release monitoring. These tags collect important data on the turtles’ behavior, habitat use, and survivorship to help inform sea turtle conservation and protection efforts. For this season, the team is using a combination of satellite tags for real-time data along with acoustic tags for longer-term tracking. Some of the released turtles will also be added to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Tracker, which the public can use to follow along their journey.  

During the 2024-2025 cold-stunning season, the New England Aquarium treated 518 live sea turtles. Aquarium staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary rescued these turtles from the shores of Cape Cod from November to January. Preparing these turtles to release requires collaboration between biologists, veterinarians, and researchers. Currently, 25 turtles remain in the care of the Sea Turtle Hospital. One veterinarians medically cleared them, they will also be released off of Cape Cod this summer.

 

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