{"id":347760,"date":"2025-12-14T06:23:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T06:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/347760\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T06:23:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T06:23:13","slug":"hundreds-of-sea-turtles-are-freezing-in-cape-cod","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/347760\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds of Sea Turtles Are Freezing in Cape Cod"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the last few weeks, volunteers have braved bitter winds and freezing temperatures to patrol Cape Cod\u2019s bayside beaches at night, sweeping their flashlight beams along the last high-tide line marked with mounds of seaweed, searching for signs of life.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where you\u2019re most likely to find a turtle,\u201d said Mark Faherty, science coordinator at Mass Audubon\u2019s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, which runs a sea turtle rescue and research program in Cape Cod.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Every year, from November through early January, hundreds of juvenile sea turtles strand on these beaches when water temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving them cold-stunned\u2014a hypothermic reaction experienced by marine reptiles\u2014and unable to swim.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Disoriented and helpless, the animals drift until the surf deposits them on the beach, covered in algae and barnacles, so still and so camouflaged they often resemble rocks. Kemp\u2019s ridleys\u2014the world\u2019s most endangered sea turtle\u2014make up the majority, along with smaller numbers of green and loggerhead turtles.<\/p>\n

\"EveryEvery year, from November into early January, hundreds of juvenile sea turtles strand on Cape Cod beaches during one of the world\u2019s biggest annual cold-stunning events. Credit: Mass Audubon<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the biggest annual cold-stunning event of sea turtles in the world,\u201d Faherty said. And it\u2019s expected to get bigger. Thirty years ago, around a hundred turtles would typically strand in a season. Now, Faherty said, \u201cWe might see over 100 turtles in a single day.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far this winter, more than 500 turtles have been recovered along Cape Cod beaches, including Sandy Neck, Chapin Memorial, Skaket and others in Eastham and Brewster. New ones are found almost daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the rest of the cold-stunning season, volunteers will continue to comb miles of shoreline, day and night, sometimes in storms and subfreezing winds, to search for the stranded animals pushed in by the tides. Each one saved, Faherty said, could help boost the species.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSome number of those are going to go on to breed and contribute to hopefully continuing to rebuild the population,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Climate change is largely driving the increase in stranded turtles, which has risen sharply across the northwestern Atlantic since the 1970s, according to a study<\/a> co-authored by Faherty, published in the scientific journal PLOS One. The researchers found that the largest stranding years occurred when late October and early November sea-surface temperatures in the Gulf of Maine were warmer than normal. If that trend continues\u2014and projections suggest it will\u2014more than 2,300 juvenile Kemp\u2019s ridleys could cold-stun in Cape Cod Bay each year by 2031.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Gulf of Maine is warming up faster than about 99 percent of the water bodies in the world,\u201d said Kate Sampson, sea turtle stranding and disentanglement coordinator for NOAA Fisheries.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That rapid warming is driven by shifting ocean currents and the distinct geography of the gulf, which stretches from Nova Scotia to Cape Cod. For decades, cold Arctic water carried south by the Labrador Current helped keep the Gulf of Maine cool. But as human-driven climate change has warmed the planet, that current has weakened. Meanwhile, the Gulf Stream, which originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows north along the East Coast, has strengthened, pushing warmer tropical waters into the region. With less cold water to counterbalance that influx, the Gulf of Maine is absorbing and retaining more heat. Its basin-like shape, bordered by shallow underwater banks, traps that excess warmth much like a bathtub, according to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

These shifts have made the Gulf of Maine a prime summer feeding ground for juvenile sea turtles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always been a habitat for turtles in the past, but now it\u2019s becoming, probably more appealing as the water temperature warms in that area,\u201d Sampson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most of the Kemp\u2019s ridley sea turtles that strand on Cape Cod begin life thousands of miles to the south, emerging from nests on the Gulf Coast, either on Padre Island National Seashore in Texas or on the beaches of Tamaulipas, Mexico. As hatchlings, they enter ocean currents that carry them from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic, where, for the first few years of their life, they live and forage amidst large floating fields of sargassum. Eventually, they instinctually move inshore, drifting with the Gulf Stream, which carries them north and disperses them along the Eastern seaboard, where they continue to follow warm water and abundant food.<\/p>\n

The PLOS One study found that the increasingly warm waters in the Gulf of Maine act as an \u201cecological bridge,\u201d drawing juvenile Kemp\u2019s ridleys out of the Gulf Stream and into nearshore New England habitats where they linger well into the fall while foraging on crabs, shrimp and mollusks along the seafloor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"MoreMore than 200 volunteers patrol beaches in Cape Cod, day and night, to search for cold-stunned sea turtles that wash ashore. Credit: Mass Audubon<\/p>\n

But climate change isn\u2019t the only factor behind the rising number of turtles in Cape Cod. Decades of conservation efforts have also helped rebuild Kemp\u2019s ridley populations, Sampson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For decades, their eggs were harvested en masse for sale or consumption. Adult turtles were routinely caught and killed in shrimp trawlers in the Gulf of Mexico. By the 1980s, the species had nearly collapsed. To conserve the turtles, Mexico and the United States began protecting nesting beaches. And in the U.S., shrimp trawlers were required to install turtle excluder devices\u2014trapdoor-like openings in trawl nets that allow turtles to escape. Those protections are widely credited with helping the population make a gradual comeback.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even with recent gains from conservation efforts, the population has faced major setbacks.<\/p>\n

In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon disaster\u2014the largest marine oil spill in history\u2014is estimated to have killed more than 80,000 juvenile Kemp\u2019s ridley turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the New England Aquarium.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Turtle Rescue\u00a0<\/p>\n

For years, the Boston-based aquarium has partnered with Mass Audubon to rescue and rehabilitate cold-stunned turtles in Cape Cod Bay.<\/p>\n

As the days shorten and the water cools, their hospitable feeding grounds become perilous. Instinctively, they try to head south toward warmer seas, but their escape is blocked by the peninsula\u2019s famous hook that juts out like a flexed arm and cuts the turtles off. \u201cThey\u2019re just sort of drifting around at the mercy of the winds and currents,\u201d Faherty said. \u201cOnce it gets to 50 [degrees] and below, they start to get hypothermic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"TheThe New England Aquarium sea turtle hospital can accommodate up to 80 turtles at a time. This season, more than 400 turtles have come through their doors. Many are transported to other rehab facilities once they are stabilized so they can receive further care until they are released back in the ocean. Credit: Vanessa Kahn\/New England Aquarium<\/p>\n

Unable to navigate north and east to find their way out, the turtles become effectively penned inside the bay.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe southern end of the Gulf of Maine is that trap,\u201d Sampson said.<\/p>\n

Cape Cod isn\u2019t the only place where sea turtles fall victim to sudden cold snaps. Along North Carolina\u2019s Outer Banks, some animals strand along Cape Hatteras or inside other estuaries where rapidly cooling water can immobilize them before they reach the open ocean. Similar events have happened in Florida\u2019s Indian River Lagoon and St. Joseph Bay. In Texas, some of the most extreme cold-stun episodes on record have occurred. During a severe cold front in February 2021, NOAA\u2019s Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network<\/a> documented more than 13,000 cold-stunned green turtles\u2014the largest event of its kind in history.<\/p>\n

When volunteers encounter stranded turtles, they cover them with seaweed to slow further heat loss as they haul them along the beach on sleds back to their cars, which they\u2019ve been instructed to keep cool at about 55 degrees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou don\u2019t want to warm them up too quickly, because that can be just as dangerous for them as not warming them up at all,\u201d said Adam Kennedy, director of the New England Aquarium\u2019s sea turtle hospital located in Quincy, Massachusetts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From the beach, the volunteers drive the rescued turtles to the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, where staff weigh, measure and assess each animal\u2019s overall condition. It\u2019s not always obvious if a turtle is alive. Often, they appear dead until they\u2019ve had time to defrost, Faherty said. Those turtles are placed in what he dubs the \u201cquestionable corner,\u201d where they\u2019re monitored closely to see if they begin to revive as they warm. Once they show signs of life and are stable enough for transport, they\u2019re sent on to the New England Aquarium\u2019s sea turtle hospital for further care.<\/p>\n

Turtle Rehab\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the Quincy hospital, each turtle is assigned a number, painted on its shell, for identification before beginning a carefully timed warming regimen. On the first day, the animal is submerged in a shallow tub kept at about 55 degrees. On day two, the water temperature is raised to 65 degrees, and by day three they are in 75-degree water\u2014warm enough for them to \u201cgraduate\u201d into deeper rehabilitation tanks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many of the turtles arrive at the hospital in critical condition, severely compromised by the cold-stunning, said Melissa Joblon, a sea turtle veterinarian and director of animal health at the New England Aquarium. While struggling in the surf, they often aspirate water. \u201cYou can imagine they\u2019re not breathing very well,\u201d she said. This often leads to pneumonia. They\u2019re also immunocompromised, she said. As they freeze, blood stops circulating to their flippers and other extremities, resulting in frostbite or bone infections.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Each<\/p>\n

\"Each<\/p>\n

Each turtle that enters the New England Aquarium sea turtle hospital has a number painted on its shell for identification purposes. Credit: Vanessa Kahn\/New England Aquarium<\/p>\n

During the first days of care, veterinarians conduct exams, take X-rays and perform blood work to assess dehydration, respiratory issues and other ailments, including eye infections, abnormal buoyancy caused by gas buildup, and sometimes the occasional fracture or bites from predators. Some are missing entire flippers. One turtle found this season showed signs of shark bites. Each turtle receives a tailored treatment plan that may include antibiotics, fluids enriched with sugar or electrolytes and medications to address their needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of the hardest battles in the first weeks of rehabilitation is getting the turtles to eat to \u201cget those calories on board, to help with that fight against infections and just gaining that muscle back,\u201d Kennedy said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many arrive severely emaciated, their bodies depleted after days unable to move or feed in frigid water. Their shoulders and plastrons\u2014the hard, protective underside of the shell\u2014are often so sunken that the animals\u2019 ribs beneath become visible. Some have hollow eyes or hang limply in the water, their flippers drooping from exhaustion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Staff spend hours each day coaxing them toward food, knowing that most won\u2019t take their first bite for a week or two. In extreme cases, Kennedy said, staff may tube feed turtles a \u201cdelicious smoothie\u201d of blended herring and squid until they can eat on their own.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite their precarious condition, many cold-stunned turtles prove remarkably resilient. Earlier this week, one rescued turtle slowly paddled inside its tank, its shell marked with the number 599. \u201c599, yesterday had no detectable heartbeat,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cIt would move a little bit so we knew it was alive, but it wouldn\u2019t even breathe, even when we tried to stimulate it.\u201d After emergency medications and fluids, the turtle rallied overnight. By the next morning, it had significantly improved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Complete recovery from cold-stunning can take 4 to 8 months. But the hospital doesn\u2019t always have capacity to provide that amount of time and care to the hundreds of turtles that come through its doors. A maximum of 80 turtles may be rehabilitated there at any one time. To free up space, many turtles, once stabilized in Quincy, are transported by car, or even flown by volunteer pilots to other rehabilitation centers around the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This past week, around 80 turtles were flown to Florida where they will receive further care at various rehabilitation centers including The Turtle Hospital in Marathon and the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. Ultimately, Kennedy said, the goal for each animal is the same: help them become healthy enough to return to warmer waters. \u201cWe want every turtle to make it back to the ocean.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tAbout This Story<\/p>\n

Perhaps you noticed: This story, like all the news we publish, is free to read. That\u2019s because Inside Climate News is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. We do not charge a subscription fee, lock our news behind a paywall, or clutter our website with ads. We make our news on climate and the environment freely available to you and anyone who wants it.<\/p>\n

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Thank you,<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTeresa Tomassoni\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tOceans Correspondent<\/p>\n

Teresa Tomassoni is an environmental journalist covering the intersections between oceans, climate change, coastal communities and wildlife for Inside Climate News. Her previous work has appeared in The Washington Post, NPR, NBC Latino and the Smithsonian American Indian Magazine. Teresa holds a master\u2019s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. She is also a recipient of the Stone & Holt Weeks Social Justice Reporting Fellowship. She has taught journalism for Long Island University and the School of the New York Times. She is an avid scuba diver and spends much of her free time underwater.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the last few weeks, volunteers have braved bitter winds and freezing temperatures to patrol Cape Cod\u2019s bayside…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":347761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[79,201],"class_list":{"0":"post-347760","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wildlife","8":"tag-science","9":"tag-wildlife"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}