Marine Stranding Field School Encounters Sea Turtle Tsunami

Juvenile Green Sea Turtle Rescued on Saturday Night

The MAS (Mass Audubon) Marine Stranding Field School encountered a sea turtle stranding wave of record proportions this past weekend with nearly 50 cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley and green sea turtles.  One day alone saw 28 strandings, the largest number since 1999.  One hundred fifty cold-stunned sea turtles washed ashore on Wednesday smashing all previous one day records, exceeding the number of animals rescued in most full years!

Pre-Dawn Sea Turtle Patrol on Sunday

Rescuers recovered sea turtles from Cape Cod Bay beaches from Brewster to Truro, processed & stabilized them at MAS Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, and then transported them to the New England Aquarium facility in Quincy. An extraordinary experience for field school participants with a truly life saving and live altering outcome.

MAS Staff Rescues Juvenile Green Sea Turtle from Ryder Beach in Truro

Juvenile Green Sea Turtle Receives Helping Hand

Measuring Juvenile Green Sea Turtle’s Length with Calipers

Field Schoolers Examine Rescued Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

Close Up of Cold-Stunned Juvenile Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

Measuring Curved Length of Cold-Stunned Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

Weighing Cold-Stunned Juvenile Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle

Rescued Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles Boxed for Transport to Quincy

Juvenile Green Sea Turtle (Bottom); Juvenile Kemp’s Ridley (Above)

Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles Ready for Ride to New England Aquarium

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