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Hundreds young sea turtles in critical condition from hypothermia they wash ashore Cape Cod in Massachusetts this month.
While conservationists expect what is known as “cold stunning” events as temperatures drop, this year has been particularly bad with strong winds driving more turtles inland to escape the cold waters with deadly consequences.
Sea turtles are cold-blooded and cannot regulate their body temperature. Cold stunning occurs when the water temperature drops below 50 degrees. It can be life-threatening if reptiles are exposed to water for several days. Turtles become weak and unable to regulate their buoyancy, often floating on the surface of the water and not moving to conserve energy.
“We usually see a lot of pneumonia in these turtles. They are very malnourished, very dehydrated. Some animals have fractures from vessel interactions or when they wash up on rocks,” said Adam Kennedy, director of rescue and rehabilitation at the New England Aquarium. The Independent on Tuesday. “But they’re in pretty bad shape because they actually floated for a few months before they ran aground. So it’s amazing that they’re actually still alive when they get to the beach.”
A cold stunning event occurs when many turtles are struck at the same time in the same area, and Cape Cod Bay is a common stranding location. They look like rocks littering the shores.
If they are not found, they die from medical conditions related to hypothermia and the inability to feed. although, death rates have decreased since the first major cold snap in 2001 due to improved human response.
The aquarium currently cares for more than 200 turtles at its sea turtle hospital in Quincy, many of which are critically endangered Kemp’s ridley species – the most vulnerable and the smallest all kinds of sea turtles. Rescuers also saw endangered green sea turtles and loggerheads. Kennedy said he expected 25 new turtles to arrive Tuesday morning, with more arriving in the afternoon.
“Yesterday we had 76 live turtles that came to our facility. It’s one of the biggest reception days we’ve had here,” he said.
When the aquarium finds the turtles, they take X-rays and conduct blood tests. The medical staff also determines their heart rate. Turtles with heart rates of less than 10 beats per minute will be given an injection of epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, to get their heart going. Struggling turtles will receive specialized fluids, and all turtles will receive a basic plan of fluids and antibiotics.
Turtles in need will be slowly introduced to warmer and saltier waters in three-day increments. Turtles that respond better will be taken to the swimming pool in the aquarium. Patients are monitored to make sure they are doing well. When they are strong enough, they can be transported to other places that can take care of them. After weeks or months of care, they can be released back into the ocean.
“When we first moved into our off-site facility in Quincy in 2010, the average was 38 to 40 turtles. And now, our annual average is just over 400 turtles and most of them are the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle,” Kennedy explained.
There are several reasons for this stranding along the Atlantic coast. Sea turtles travel thousands of miles each year, preferring tropical ocean temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees. The young men float on Gulf Streama strong ocean current that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic Ocean.
However, after spending a pleasant summer on Cape Cod Bay, they can become trapped during the cold months – especially with high winds. Last year didn’t have those winds, Kennedy said.
As ocean temperatures continue to rise due to climate changesea turtles follow those waters further north in the summer, notes the National Aquariumtaking them outside traditional migratory routes.
“The warming of the Gulf of Maine over the years is now allowing more and more turtles to enter Cape Cod Bay,” Kennedy added. “It’s most likely because of the warming we’re seeing.”
Unfortunately, these factors have led to more such occurrences. Data from Mass Audubon shows that the number of infected turtles in the northeast of the country has increased dramatically over the past 10 years.
“There is a model that says that by 2030 we will see over a thousand turtles a year. We’re getting there. I see it happening and we’re getting ready to be ready for it,” Kennedy said.
While the New England Aquarium has help from the nonprofit Turtles Fly Too and other facilities, it was built to house only about 60 turtles. On Tuesday, she launched a campaign to support their efforts, with donations matched dollar for dollar up to $100,000.
“We are very fortunate that there is such a large network of sea turtle rehabilitation facilities,” Kennedy said. “It’s very fortunate that people really care about sea turtles.”