Live “Dead” Kemp’s Ridley Rescued from Eastham Beach
This morning a beach walker discovered a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle north of Kingsbury Beach in Eastham. Showing no obvious signs of life, the turtle was left exposed on a washed-ashore tire. Hours later, the discoverer phoned the Wellfleet Bay Sanctuary to report finding “a dead turtle.â€
Don Lewis Examines Cold-Stunned Kemp’s Ridley
Cold-stunned and now further chilled and dehydrated from exposure, this plucky juvenile still clung to life. At only 9.5 inches long and less than 5 pounds, she had lost considerable body heat, registering an internal temperature of only 52°F, and she had sustained some nasty cuts and abrasions as she was driven helplessly ashore.
Kemp’s Ridley Stabilized for Emergency Trip to Boston
Her partly opened eyes, which displayed no movement, were cleaned and dowsed in a protective ointment. Her nose had been bruised and bloodied in beaching, as had the side of her head, underneath her neck, and the nail area of her left rear flipper. But to enhance her chance of survival, after a rocky start on the beach, we immediately rushed her to the New England Aquarium, where her injuries and hypothermic condition could be more aggressively treated.
Turtle “Hand-Off” at Sagamore Bridge
The handoff took place at the Sagamore Bridge rotary, mid-way between Boston’s New England Aquarium and Wellfleet Bay at the end of the universe. The fifth Kemp’s ridley of the season sped off with NEAQ’s Marine Animal Rescue, along with our hopes and prayers for her recovery. The important lesson for everyone associated with strandings is treat every beached critter as alive. When dealing with the rarest and most endangered sea turtle in the world, always err on the side of life.