New England Aquarium Releases Six Sea Turtles Into Atlantic Ocean

Celebrating its third beach release this season, the New England Aquarium returned six sea turtles to the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, July 17. Aquarium interns, staff, and volunteers gathered at West Dennis Beach in Dennis as the four Kemp's ridley and two loggerhead sea turtles entered Nantucket Sound for their journey back to the ocean. 

The release comes after months of rehabilitation for the sea turtles, which had been suffering from severe hypothermia-related medical conditions. The turtles had spent several months undergoing treatment at the aquarium's sea turtle hospital in Quincy. 

When they were placed into the aquarium's hospital, the turtles were facing life-threatening medical conditions, including bone infection, dehydration, and pneumonia. These conditions resulted from the turtles becoming “cold-stunned” and stranded on the shores of Cape Cod during the late fall of 2024.

The sea turtles' saga has followed a familiar rhythm from past years. From November through January, staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary patrol the beaches along Cape Cod Bay looking for hypothermic sea turtles. When found, staff and volunteers rescue and transport the turtles to the aquarium's Quincy hospital for treatment. 

During this past cold-stunning season, the aquarium cared for 518 live sea turtles. Of that number, 12 are currently in rehabilitative care. Aquarium staff hope that the remaining dozen can be released off Cape Cod later this summer.

“Many of these turtles received advanced diagnostics and intensive medical or surgical treatments, and they're all currently healthy,” said Dr. Melissa Joblon, New England Aquarium's director of animal health, in a statement shared with The (Newburyport) Daily News. 

Most of the turtles that become cold-stunned and stranded on Cape Cod are Kemp's ridley sea turtles. These endangered species of turtles are facing numerous threats to their survival, including climate change, habitat destruction, interactions with fishing operations, and ocean pollution. Organizations such as Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and the New England Aquarium continue to lead efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and conduct further research on these species.