Rehabbed Juvenile Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)Â
Fletcher, a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), was found cold-stunned, upside-down and below the high water mark on Fisher Beach in Truro on Outer Cape Cod on the morning of 29 November 2008. Discovered by one of the Mass Audubon volunteers who patrol the beaches each fall in search of stranded sea turtles, Fletcher was rushed to the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, stabilized there and then transported to the New England Aquarium for medical treatment.
Fletcher in Rehab at National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay
After initial medical care at the aquarium, Fletcher was transferred to the National Marine Life Center for rehabilitation during the long, cold winter. When found hypothermic on the beach in November, Fletcher weighed a little less than 52 pounds. Today, Fletcher approaches 70 pounds and energetically awaits release back into the wild.
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“Fletcher” Ready for Return to the Wild
Within the next few days, Fletcher will be released off the Mid-Atlantic Coast into the Gulf Stream to resume a sea turtle’s life in the deep blue sea. Today, Fletcher will be equipped with a satellite tracking tag so that this sea turtle’s travels can be plotted and studied by researchers. We hope to monitor Fletcher’s satellite signal in the coming months and report Fletcher’s progress both here and on the National Marine Life Center’s site.