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. CREDIT: New England Aquarium. 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...