Wear your Sea Turtle gear on Friday, March 28th and bring in $1 to Help the Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles of Cape Cod Bay! Did you know that sea turtles can be cold-stunned, causing them to become stranded along our coastlines? In fact, 610 sea turtles were rescued from the bayside beaches of Cape Cod alone this year!
These incredible reptiles rely on the water around them to regulate their body temperature. As the water gets colder in the fall, many sea turtles, especially the young Kemp's ridleys, end up getting trapped by the “hooked-shape” of Cape Cod. They become cold-stunned; lethargic and hypothermic, unable to swim or feed, and are washed ashore by the waves.
The process begins with trained volunteers who patrol the beaches day and night to find cold-stunned turtles. Once the sea turtles are found, they are brought to the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary to warm up and stabilize. Then, they are transported to the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital to be evaluated. The most critical patients stay in Quincy, to be treated at the Sea Turtle Hospital. The sea turtles that are in stable condition are sent to Mystic Aquarium for their treatment. After months of rehabilitation, many sea turtles are strong enough to be released back into the wild where they belong.
How You Can Make a Difference:
This year, our JCS Community Connection Project is focused on supporting the amazing work being done for sea turtle rehabilitation and release. We are raising funds to purchase and decorate bins that will be used to transport sea turtles ready for release. If we raise more than $250, we'll also have the opportunity to provide healthy meals of leafy vegetables for the Green Sea Turtles under Mystic’s care and supply much-needed pool supplies, including enrichment tools for the sea turtles.
With just a $1 donation, you can make a huge impact in helping us support the sea turtles being treated by Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program. Your contribution will help further efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and release sea turtles from Cape Cod.
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