3 Endangered Sea Turtles Rescued On Cape Cod Beaches

EASTHAM, MA — Three endangered sea turtles were rescued after being found cold-stunned on Cape Cod beaches. The Mass Audobon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary rescued the three Kemp ridley turtles over the weekend at beaches in Brewster, Eastham and at Great Island in Wellfleet before turning them over to the New England Aquarium's animal care facility in Quincy for rehabilitation. Kemp ridley turtles are the world's most endangered sea turtle.

During the fall and winter months, it's common for sea turtles to suffer hypothermia-like symptons as water temperatures decrease. New England Aquarium spokesperson Tony LaCasse told Patch two of the turtle's body temperatures were 53 degrees which was the same temperature as the Cape Cod Bay. The third turtle's body temperature dropped to 49 degrees.

"It probably cooled down with the air temperature because it may have not been found on the beach right away," LaCasse said.

LaCasse said all the turtles were around 3-years-old and weighed four-to-six pounds each. He said the turtles have since recovered, are in good health and have a feisty attitude again, which is exactly how they are supposed to be.

As for how the turtles became endangered, LaCasse said many of them became endangered because they'd get trapped in shrimp fishing boats. He said most sea turtle populations dropped between the '60s and '80, but this has become less of an issue as new turtle gate devices were implented on shrimp fishing boats.

With Kemp ridley turtles specifically, the population was also drastically reduced when their primary habitat along the beaches of the Mexoco-Texas border were discovered by humans in the '40s. Ridley said people would collect the turtles for their shells and eggs.