The Florida Aquarium has released five Kemp’s ridley sea turtles back to the ocean after successful recovery at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center.
The smallest sea turtle species in the world, the Kemp’s ridley are also among the most endangered. Months of specialized and compassionate care by the team at The Florida Aquarium provided this group of sea turtles a second chance.
The turtles were stranded in Cape Cod, Massachusetts during a cold-stun event last December. Initially triaged at the New England Aquarium, the turtles were flown to Florida through the efforts of Turtles Fly Too, a non-profit organization utilizing general aviation in first-responder relocation efforts to save endangered turtle species.
The Florida Aquarium rehabilitated four out of five of these turtles, while one of the turtles was initially cared for my Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium and later transferred to The Florida Aquarium.
Cold-stunning occurs when cold-blooded animals, like sea turtles, are exposed to unusually cold water and air temperatures for an extended period of time; causing a hypothermic reaction that may include a lower heart rate, decreased circulation, lethargy, pneumonia, secondary bacterial infections and if left untreated, death.
This conservation action was made possible by The Florida Aquarium in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, New England Aquarium, Turtles Fly Too, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Anastasia State Park.
All sea turtle rehabilitation work conducted by The Florida Aquarium is done with the approval of (FWC) under conditions not harmful to marine turtles and authorized under conservation activities pursuant to FWC MTP-23-179.
