MYSTIC, Conn. (WHDH) — Seven critically endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles rescued on Cape Cod earlier this month are the first to be admitted to the recently reopened Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Clinic in Connecticut.
Volunteers of the Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary spotted the turtles on the Cape between Dec. 7 and 14, according to the Mystic Aquarium.
They were taken to the National Marine Life Center in Bourne, Mass. to be stabilized before being transferred to Mystic Aquarium’s Milne Ocean Science and Conservation Center, which resumed operations of its Animal Rescue Program on Nov. 19.
“While you never want to see animals in distress, we are so grateful to have the opportunity to lend a hand in the rehabilitation of these sea turtles,” said Dr. Allison Tuttle, Vice President of Zoological Operations at Mystic Aquarium. “While all species of sea turtles are of conservation concern, the Kemps Ridley sea turtles are critically endangered, making rescue and rehabilitation of each individual vital to the species’ survival. This group of turtles will receive the critical care they need so we can get them back into the open ocean.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries reported that of the more than 500 cold-stunned sea turtles found so far this year, the vast majority are Kemp’s Ridley — the world’s most endangered sea turtle.
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