PRESS RELEASE
10 rehabilitated sea turtles released into ocean off Florida
Turtles rescued from Cape Cod beaches completed rehabilitation
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL (Jan. 29, 2025) – Ten rescued sea turtles have returned to the ocean waters off Florida after being rehabilitated by the New England Aquarium and Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS).
*PHOTOS AVAILABLE HERE. SEE CREDIT INFORMATION IN FILE NAMES*
The turtles received care for hypothermia-related conditions after cold-stunning on the beaches of Cape Cod, an annual phenomenon that happens when water and air temperatures gradually drop late in the year. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released the turtles Tuesday afternoon along New Smyrna Beach on Canaveral National Seashore. All of the endangered sea turtles—five loggerheads from the Aquarium and five Kemp’s ridleys from AMSEAS in Westhampton Beach, NY—had been medically cleared for release after one to two months of rehabilitation.
“It is always rewarding to return sea turtles to the ocean where they belong,” said Adam Kennedy, director of rescue and rehabilitation at the New England Aquarium. “Particularly with loggerheads—which are larger in size—releasing these animals frees up space for the New England Aquarium to focus on the 70 sea turtles remaining in our care long-term.”
The Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA, admitted a total of 518 live sea turtles this past stranding season—62 of them loggerheads. About 70 turtles will remain at the Aquarium for rehabilitative care over the next several months. AMSEAS continues to care for 14 sea turtles that stranded in Massachusetts waters and were triaged at the Aquarium’s facility.
“Atlantic Marine Conservation Society (AMSEAS) is proud to be a part of this important conservation effort and looks forward to releasing the other 14 turtles currently in our care, as they are medically cleared by our veterinary team. Working with our partners always inspires us to keep moving conservation efforts forward,” Robert A. DiGiovanni, Jr., executive director and chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society.
Volunteer pilots from the nonprofit organization Turtles Fly Too flew the turtles from Massachusetts and New York, which allowed the animals to quickly reach their destination in Florida with minimal stress. The first flight, piloted by Ed Filangeri, transported the AMSEAS sea turtles to Massachusetts from New York. The second flight, piloted by Chuck Yanke and Julie Tromblay, carried all 10 endangered sea turtles from Massachusetts to Florida.
“The logistics and complexity of these flights require a significant level of coordination to ensure the turtles thrive during transport,” said Leslie Weinstein, president of Turtles Fly Too.
Every fall and early winter, hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles wash up on the beaches of Cape Cod, MA. Because of the rapidly changing water temperature and wind pattern, many turtles cannot escape the hook-like area of Cape Cod Bay before becoming hypothermic. That’s when staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary come in, patrolling the beaches for stranded turtles and transporting the live animals to the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital for treatment for conditions including pneumonia, dehydration, and trauma.
“When our dedicated staff and volunteers rescue these turtles on freezing Cape Cod beaches, they are barely clinging to life,” said Melissa Lowe, Regional Director of Mass Audubon Cape Cod. “Nothing is more gratifying than seeing rehabilitated turtles scampering back into the water at these releases, all thanks to the hard work of the teams at New England Aquarium and other facilities around the country.”
Donations are crucial to continuing this sea turtle conservation work. Those interested in supporting these organizations can give online today:
MEDIA CONTACT:
Pam Bechtold Snyder, New England Aquarium – 617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org
Joanne Biegert, Atlantic Marine Conservation Society – 631-764-8707; jbiegert@amseas.org
Aaron Gouveia, Mass Audubon – 781-259-2372; agouveia@massaudubon.org
Sara Hertwig, Turtles Fly Too – 303-775-3201; sara@turtlesflytoo.org