New England Aquarium Releases 17 Endangered Sea Turtles Off Cape Cod

Early in the morning of Wednesday, June 25, staff from the New England Aquarium returned 17 endangered and threatened sea turtles into the ocean following months of rehabilitation.

Wednesday's release took place on West Dennis Beach, after ocean temperatures exceeded the 65-degree minimum requirement. The release is the first of the season for the aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy and a milestone in what has become a heightened cycle of turtle rehabilitation and rescue.

According to a Boston Globe report, each winter hundreds of sea turtles wash ashore on Cape Cod, stunned by frigid water that renders them unable to feed or move. This season, the New England Aquarium rescued 518 turtles between November and January. This number tied for the third busiest season on record. 

As ocean temperatures rise and more turtles stray north into New England waters, the average number of strandings has more than quintupled, according to the Globe.

Among the turtles released on Wednesday was Tyche, a critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle, who sustained a serious facial injury during the turtle's stranding.

“Not knowing if it could even open its mouth enough to eat — or whether it would be able to thrive — that was a big question when the turtle first arrived,” said Adam Kennedy, the Aquarium's director of rescue and rehabilitation, in an interview with the Globe. “We had to ask ourselves: Do you euthanize a turtle like that, or give it time?”

Ten of the turtles were fitted with satellite tags, and eight of those received longer-lasting acoustic tags to help with tracking.

According to Kara Dodge, a research scientist at the New England Aquarium, satellite tags deliver real-time data when turtles surface to breathe. Acoustic tags can function underwater but only near fixed receivers. 

Twenty-five more turtles remain in rehabilitation and will hopefully be ready for release later this summer.