DENNIS, MASS. (WHDH) - Six of the world’s most endangered sea turtles were carried down a Cape Cod beach Tuesday morning and released back into the ocean after being found near death eight months ago, the New England Aquarium said.
The Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, which were cared for and nursed back to health by a group of volunteers, slowly made their way back into the sea after being placed on the sand of West Dennis Beach about 50 feet from the water.
Five of the six turtles disappeared into the surf with a dense fog laying over the water.
The sixth turtle, ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy,’ was unsure of what to do but was placed in the surf and swam off.
Volunteers from Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in November and December found 300 turtles lying motionless in ankle deep water suffering from hypothermia.
The turtles were taken to the New England Aquarium’s sea turtle hospital in Quincy, where they recovered over the course of several months and were later set free. However, the six that were released Tuesday were said to be the “most profoundly and chronically ill.”
Fuzzy Wuzzy, Peach, Artichoke, Midnight Blue, Copper and Antique Brass are now once again enjoying a life in the ocean, likely hunting for crabs.
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