Lining up the turtles before the release

Curious and enthusiastic turtle fans

Spectators got a close look at the turtles before they were placed on the sand

And they're off ...

Did you know you can learn more about turtle rescue and releases at the Aquarium on Central Wharf? Check out the Sea Turtle Hospital exhibit and try your hand at diagnosing and feeding replica sea turtle patients.

We shared some heartwarming still pictures of the sea turtle release in Florida earlier this week. See those pictures here and here. And here's one last look at the peaceful moment when these endangered animals swam off into the sunrise.


This is what it's all about.

Thank you to all the volunteers and hard-working staff on the Aquarium's Marine Animal Rescue Team, and thanks to all our partners in rescue up and down the East Coast, working to save these amazing species of sea turtle.

See Part 1 of this turtle trek, preparations for an epic road trip!

While Bostonians were shrugging snow off their shoulders on Monday, the turtle rescue team was curling their toes in Florida sands as their flippered patients shambled toward the ocean. Today marked a milestone in the second largest turtle rescue season on record at the New England Aquarium. With the exception of a few of the sickest patients, the last of our patients from 2015 have returned to the ocean!

Sea turtles head home.

Here are a few scenes from this morning's rescue in Florida.

Turtles in the banana boxes ready for release

A park ranger and Aquarium rescuer release a turtle together.

And they're off!

This is what it's all about! After the road trip, Julika prepares to release a turtle.

Ranger Alison Conboy releases a turtle

Kemp's ridley turtles heading down the beach

A hybrid turtle heads towards the water

A Kemp's ridley turtle going home

A Kemp's ridley turtle swims deeper

Swimming off into the sunrise

Success!

On Saturday, members of the Aquarium's Marine Animal Rescue Team awoke early and prepared more than a dozen turtles for an epic road trip down the East Coast from Quincy, MA, to warmer waters down south. These sea turtles were among the very last patients from our second busiest turtle rescue season. And they were on their way home.

Here are a couple scenes from that early morning send-off.

Volunteers scoop turtles from their rehab pens for their last exams.

Each turtle is given a last dose of fluids and layer of ointment to keep their skin moist while out of the water.

Then the turtles are nestled into banana boxes for the journey.

Each banana box has a comfy, clean towel lining the bottom.

Turtles lined up and ready to go.

Shipping out!

Precious cargo

Safe travels, little one!

Nine more turtles are on their way to the Animal Care Center today—including eight of the larger loggerheads. The season continues to break records with latest live admissions of Kemp's ridley and loggerhead turtles. Not only is the timing of this season unusual, this is our second-largest stranding season ever.

In a normal sea turtle stranding season, the last surviving animal washes up during the week before Christmas. Over 25 years, no more than a handful have arrived after New Year’s. But as an article in today's Boston Globe reports, turtles are still stranding on the Cape.

Photo: Jessica Rinaldi, The Boston Globe

Since last Friday, our sea turtle hospital in Quincy has admitted 13 loggerheads and four Kemp’s – probably two to three times more than all previous post-New Year’s turtles combined. The loggerhead arrivals are the beginning of the end of the stranding season, but they pose major logistics challenges as each animal takes up so much tank space.

Photo: Jessica Rinaldi, The Boston Globe

The very late season is the product of the abnormally high water temperatures in Cape Cod Bay that were 6-7 degrees above normal for most of the month of December.

Read the full article in The Boston Globe.

Two carts in the clinic are set up for turtle exams.

Here's an example of a work station ready for a new patient

Flashlight: This helps the biologists examine a turtle's eyes and throats for scratches or foreign bodies.

Turtles often get injections of medicines and fluids as well as blood drawn for testing. Before the injections, the turtle's skin is cleaned with alcohol and iodine—just like what you'd use on people!

The marker: These are used to mark the turtle's shells with a number ID, this is important when looking for dozens of turtles swimming in a rehab tank. The tongue depressor: These simple tools can help spread ointments over the turtle's shell or skin or gently scrape a little algae off the shell.

The towel donut! These are a staple at every sea turtle rescue station. A rolled up towel like this is a comfortable place for turtles to rest during their exam. It's soft, their flipper can hang over the sides and assistants can gently yet firmly grip the sides the turtle's shell so they don't flap themselves right off the table.

Each syringe used for a blood draw is prepared with a chemical coating that prevents the blood from coagulating inside the tube. The biologists prepare many syringes at a time and stash them at each exam station.

A tool caddy contains all the extras. Extra antiseptic wipes, extra depressors, extra syringes, extra tubing, scissors, pens, markers, etc. Also note that there's some note-taking in this picture. Every shot and abrasion is noted along with temperatures and energy level and lots more.

Turtle exams in action!