8/6/14

3 Endangered Sea Turtles released from Cape Cod

Along with our partners at the Massachusetts Audubon Society at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, we had a great day releasing endangered sea turtles back into the ocean. 

Photo above: New England Aquarium volunteers carry the turtles to the release site in front of a cheering crowd


Many of you who follow this blog already know that these turtles stranded back in the fall as the water temperatures in Cape Cod Bay began to plummet.  Mass Audubon staff and trained volunteers walk the beaches in a coordinated effort at every high tide rescuing sea turtles form the frigid wind chill.  Today many of the Mass Audubon staff and volunteers were on hand to help release and cheer  the turtles they rescued crawl down the beach into the ocean. 






Left and Below: Dennis Murley from the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary lifts a green sea turtle from the transport carrier.  On the right, Dennis shows the turtle to the public before the turtle crawls down the beach and into the ocean.
Above: Aquarium sea turtle research partner, Dr. Kara Dodge, and her daughter observe a green sea turtle at the release
Above: Dr. Leslie Neville, New England Aquarium veterinarian, shows a green turtle to the crowd

Above:  Mass Audubon sea turtle volunteer Michael Lach and his children, Skylar and Sage, prepare to release an endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle.  This little team of volunteer beach walkers has rescued a lot of sea turtles so this was a special day for them to return a healthy turtle back into the ocean

The crowd watches as an Atlantic green sea turtle makes it's way down the beach toward the ocean


An Atlantic green sea turtle with a satellite tag enters the surf

An endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle with a satellite tag makes its way across the sand to the ocean
We gathered all the sea turtle staff and volunteers that were at this release for a group photo. This is a fraction of the people who help Mass Audubon and the New England Aquarium rescue, transport, rehab and release these threatened and endangered sea turtles.


You can follow the tracks of these turtles or adopt them here.

Watching these turtles crawl down the beach and enter the ocean after eight months of rehabilitation was gratifying and verifying for all who help rescue, transport and rehab these turtles.  It was wonderful to spend the afternoon with so many people who are dedicated to the conservation of the these important sentinels of the sea.

- Connie

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