Endangered Sea Turtles Rescued Off Cape Beaches

Sea turtles at center of attention

By Carla Gualdron | Friday, November 26, 2010 |

Photo by Jim Michaud

Twenty-one beleaguered sea turtles were rescued on Cape Cod beaches late Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day after they failed to swim south and succumbed to cold waters.

“They look like they’re dead,” said Tony LaCasse, media relations director of the New England Aquarium. “They’re black, green, covered in fungus. They literally have a single heart beat per minute.”

The turtles were brought to the aquarium’s new Animal Care Center in Quincy, a state-of-the-art facility that was specifically designed to handle a large number of animals over a short period of time in emergencies.

The Kemp-Ridley sea turtles, an endangered species, suffered from hypothermia and other injuries. Staff and volunteers from the Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary at Wellfleet Bay braved the cold to search for the critters. LaCasse said strong northwest winds drove the turtles on shore. Since Oct. 20, the aquarium has treated 24 other sea turtles.

“On Thanksgiving, we are thankful to have this new center,” LaCasse said.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1298940

Strong Winds Drove Kemp-Ridley Turtles Ashore

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Endangered Sea Turtles Rescued Off Cape Beaches - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston