Hundreds of sea turtles are washing up on Massachusetts beaches as temperatures drop. They were found to be cold-stunned, and many had life-threatening conditions, such as hypothermia, pneumonia, sepsis, dehydration, and traumatic injuries.
The Massachusetts Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary has been rescuing the turtles at Cape Cod Bay and taking them to the New England Aquarium's sea turtle hospital.
"No new wounds, but there was a big chunk out of his shell from something obviously in the distant past," said Bruce Beane, a sea turtle rescuing volunteer, who was describing the Kemp's ridley sea turtle he found on Ryder Beach. "He couldn't quite walk but kept trying."
Around this time of year, cold-stunning events are expected for sea turtles. They are cold-blooded, so they can't regulate their body temperatures.
They thrive in oceans between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. In May and June, they reach northern waters by following the warm Gulf stream.
But in the fall, strong winds can prevent some turtles from returning to warmer waters for the winter. When they're trapped in the colder waters, the turtles become too weak to feed or swim, which makes them vulnerable to starvation, disease, and run-ins with boats.
So far, hospital workers have treated 257 live sea turtles -- 214 Kemp's ridley turtles, 39 green turtles, and four loggerhead turtles.
The reptiles are given a physical exam, bloodwork, and X-rays. Some even need follow-up treatment for weeks or months. Certain cases require an ultrasound or epinephrine shot to get their heartbeat going.
"When they come in here, the main thing that we need to do is give them fluids -- because they're dehydrated, and then also antibiotics as well, because the vast majority of them do get pneumonia," said Melissa Joblon, the director of animal health at the New England Aquarium.
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Then, they are slowly transitioned into increasingly warmer waters until they're ready to be released into the wild again. However, the number of cold-stunned turtles is rising.
On average, aquarium rescuers would take in 38 to 40 turtles back in 2010. But now, the annual average is around 400 turtles. Most of them are Kemp's ridleys, the smallest sea turtle species in the world. They are also critically endangered.
According to experts, climate change is contributing to the spike. During the warm months, rising ocean temperatures push sea turtles north, which creates a greater chance of them getting stranded in the fall.
Per NASA, 90 percent of global warming occurs in the ocean rather than on land since the ocean absorbs the extra heat. As warming continues over the years, we can probably expect to see more ill and injured turtles.