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Rescued Kemp’s Ridley Turtles Airlifted From Cape Cod Cold Snap to South Florida Rehab

Volunteer pilots flew the hypothermic juveniles from New England to Florida after Cape Cod waters fell below safe temperatures.

Overview

  • Roughly two dozen young Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were collected from Cape Cod Bay after becoming cold-stunned during an arctic blast.
  • Volunteer pilots with the conservation group LightHawk transported the turtles by plane from the New England Aquarium to South Florida.
  • The Turtle Hospital in Marathon received a shipment that arrived in banana boxes for immediate treatment by staff.
  • Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach is rehabilitating 24 juvenile Kemp’s ridleys that lost mobility and stopped eating in the cold.
  • Hospital experts say ectothermic sea turtles can be incapacitated when water dips below about 55°F, with a warning that the species faces severe long-term risk.