2 Endangered, Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles Rescued On Cape Cod

ORLEANS, MA — Two endangered sea turtles were rescued on a Cape Cod beach after becoming cold-stunned, officials with the Mass Audubon Society said.

Both turtles were juvenile Kemp's ridleys, the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world. During the fall and winter months, it's common for sea turtles to suffer hypothermia-like symptoms and become cold-stunned as water temperatures decrease.

The turtles were found cold-stunned by volunteers of the Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on Wednesday. They were later taken to the New England Aquarium for treatment.

Last year, more than 500 cold-stunned sea turtles found were found. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, the vast majority were critically endangered Kemp's ridley. Kemp's ridley turtles, named after Richard M. Kemp, a fisherman from Key West, Florida, who first submitted the species for identification in 1906, are the smallest marine turtle in the world.

If you find a cold-stunned seat turtle, the Mass Audubon Society says to take the following steps to help it survive:

• Move the turtle above the high tide line. Never grab or hold the turtle by the head or flippers.
• Cover it with dry seaweed or wrack.
• Mark it with an obvious piece of debris—buoys, driftwood, or branches.
• Call the Wellfleet Bay hotline at 508-349-2615, extension 6104.