Turtle Journal

Roiling Cape Cod Bay in December

A stiff north/northwest breeze, mixed with on-and-off snow showers, drove three sea turtles onto Brewster beaches this morning: two Kemp’s ridleys and the first loggerhead of the season.  Today’s rescues brings the total to 28 cold-stunned sea turtles to date: 27 ridleys and one loggerhead.

Margot Fitsch with First Cold-Stunned Loggerhead of 2000

Margot Fitsch of Brewster found this first loggerhead near Saints Landing at 8:30 this morning.

Biologist Kathy Tuxbury Hefts 40 Pound Loggerhead

A tad over 50 centimeters carapace length and weighing 41.5 pounds, this small juvenile reminds us how much we miss our resident 3-pound terrapins and dread this back-breaking phase of the sea turtle rescue season.  Yes, they are gorgeous, but a 40-pounder is on the tiny side of the bell curve for loggerheads.  If past is prologue, we’ll be visited by turtles in the 55 to 70 pound range for the next few weeks.  Time to reach for back brace and truss.

Cold-Stunned, 40-Pound Juvenile Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Even her massive size, compared with the smaller Kemp’s ridleys, didn’t save this loggerhead from severe cold-stunning.  Her internal body temperature registered only 34.9 degrees Fahrenheit.  She and her two ridley companions are en route to the New England Aquarium in Boston for emergency treatment.

Three Cold-Stunned Kemp’s Ridleys from Brewster and Dennis

This morning’s tide, augmented by a 20-mph northwest wind, delivered three live Kemp’s ridley sea turtles on the shores of Brewster and Dennis: one at Linnell Landing, another at Ellis Breach, and a third at Cold Storage.

Kemp’s Ridley with Internal Temperature of 41.3º F

Internal body temperatures of this batch of turtles registered around 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  The last four ridleys, which came ashore on the 29th at Duck Harbor, have all died.  Examinations showed critically low glucose levels, among other serious medical conditions, and these turtles were assessed in as poor condition as had ever been seen.

Cold-Stunned Kemp’s Ridley in Dry Dock

So, to ensure the most aggressive treatment for today’s three, they were immediately dispatched to the New England Aquarium in Boston with the help of the National Marine Fisheries Service.