All the turtles at New England Aquarium’s hospital are juveniles, mostly critically endangered Kemp’s ridley turtles whose migratory patterns lead to strandings here. They were being treated for maladies ranging from pneumonia to sepsis.
The Kemp’s — the world’s smallest sea turtle — lives largely in the Gulf of Mexico and ventures into the Atlantic Ocean when juvenile. Some recent science, including a 2019 study in the journal PLoS One, says the warming of the ocean increases the chance of cold-stunning events once the turtles reach the Northwest Atlantic. Warmer seas may push the turtles north in a way that makes stranding more likely, the study said.
Upon arrival, the turtles are often critically ill.
“The majority of the turtles arrive with serious ailments such as pneumonia, dehydration, traumatic injuries, or sepsis,” said Melissa Joblon, director of animal health at the aquarium.
The turtle hospital rehabilitates the animals so they can be safely returned to the wild, sometimes locally and sometimes in warmer southern waters, Kennedy said. Around 80% survive.
Some of the turtles that arrive at the hospital are green turtles or loggerheads, which are not as endangered as the Kemp’s ridley, but still face numerous threats.
“At the end of the day, getting these turtles back to the wild is what we are doing and what we want,” Kennedy said. “We want them back in the ocean.” ___
Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.