{"id":1424,"date":"2012-12-17T10:43:42","date_gmt":"2012-12-17T14:43:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.massaudubon.org\/blogs\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=1424"},"modified":"2012-12-17T10:43:42","modified_gmt":"2012-12-17T14:43:42","slug":"saving-stranded-sea-turtles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/saving-stranded-sea-turtles\/","title":{"rendered":"Saving Stranded Sea Turtles"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sea<\/a>Molly Shuman-Goodier of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary reports on this year\u2019s sea turtle stranding season.<\/i><\/p>\n

Every year come fall, the lower air and water temperatures lead to the stranding of many “cold-stunned” sea turtles on Cape Cod.<\/p>\n

Strandings are not a new phenomenon: plenty of fish, turtles, and birds wash up each year. Yet, sea turtles are of particular interest because they are endangered, and we owe them a little help.<\/p>\n

Why They Get Stranded<\/b><\/p>\n

The kemps ridley, loggerhead, and green sea turtle juveniles that cold stun on the Cape are ectothermic organisms, meaning they cannot regulate their body temperatures. This means that the turtles unfortunate enough to swim into Cape Cod Bay get stuck as the water (and their body) temperature cools.<\/p>\n

Unable to swim actively, the winter temperatures render the turtles helpless against the strong winds and tides. They wash up on bayside beaches were Mass Audubon staff and dedicated volunteers patrol tirelessly after high tides to locate turtles. Once found, the turtles are then sent to the New England Aquarium<\/a> for rehab.<\/p>\n

The Season So Far<\/b><\/p>\n

After a record high of 198 total sea turtle sightings this summer, we knew 2012 would be a busy cold stun season. Volunteers and staff at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a> worked around the clock during the busy period from November 22 to December 1, recovering over 150 turtles in 11 days, some weighing up to 100 pounds.<\/p>\n

As December 13, 253 turtles have washed up cold-stunned, making this year the 2nd\u00a0highest stranding year out of over 30 years on record. What makes this year especially significant is that 173 turtles have been encountered alive, meaning recovery rates at the aquarium will be higher than ever.<\/p>\n

That said, there are still a couple more weeks left in the season, so we\u2019d best get back out on the beaches!<\/p>\n

Learn more about sea turtle strandings<\/a><\/strong> from Wellfleet Bay and what happens to the turtles<\/a><\/strong> once they\u2019ve been rescued.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Molly Shuman-Goodier of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary reports on this year\u2019s sea turtle stranding season. Every year come fall, the lower air and water temperatures lead to the stranding of many “cold-stunned” sea turtles on Cape Cod. Strandings are not a new phenomenon: plenty of fish, turtles, and birds wash up each year. Yet, sea […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,12],"tags":[99,105,111],"class_list":["post-1424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature-notes","category-project-updates","tag-stranding","tag-turtles","tag-wellfleet"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-mY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15043,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/sea-turtles-and-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":0},"title":"Sea Turtles Face Challenges in Warming Waters","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"December 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo \u00a9 Esther Horvath. Lea Desrochers, Turtle Research Assistant at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary rescues a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle at at Corn Hill Beach, Truro, MA. Every November and December, for more than 30 years, sea turtles strand on the bayside beaches of Cape Cod. At first\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/CLASSI1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11955,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/rescuing-sea-turtles-on-cape-cod\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":1},"title":"Rescuing Sea Turtles on Cape Cod","author":"Hillary T.","date":"November 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"As winter approaches, the water temperature of Cape Cod Bay slowly drops, and sea turtles should make their way south to warmer tropical waters. However, each year since the late 1970s, some juvenile turtles do not make the journey in time. Trapped by the hook of the Cape, the turtles\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/11\/SeaTurtle.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15919,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/all-about-sea-turtles-in-massachusetts\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":2},"title":"All About Sea Turtles\u202fin Massachusetts","author":"Hillary T.","date":"June 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When most people think of sea turtles, they imagine these marine reptiles enjoying the warm waters of the tropics. However, visitors and residents of the Cape\u00a0may\u00a0not realize that each summer hundreds of these turtles make their way into\u00a0waters\u00a0around\u00a0Cape Cod.\u202f\u00a0 Loggerhead \u00a9 Elizabeth Bradfield While sea turtles don\u2019t nest north of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/06\/ridley-in-the-water_Elizabeth-Bradfield-e1623439659360.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15376,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/in-your-words-barbara-brennessel\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":3},"title":"In Your Words: Barbara Brennessel","author":"Ryan D.","date":"March 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Barbara Brennessel is a long-time volunteer at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, where her work includes cold-stunned sea turtle rescue. Barbara and her husband Nick with a cold-stunned Loggerhead sea turtle My husband Nick and I have volunteered at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary for more than 15 years. In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "In Your Words"","block_context":{"text":"In Your Words","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/in-your-words\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Barbara and her husband Nick with a cold-stunned Loggerhead sea turtle","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/03\/Barbara-and-Nick-with-loggerhead.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/03\/Barbara-and-Nick-with-loggerhead.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/03\/Barbara-and-Nick-with-loggerhead.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/03\/Barbara-and-Nick-with-loggerhead.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15773,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/protecting-endangered-species-at-mass-audubon\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":4},"title":"Protecting Endangered Species at Mass Audubon","author":"William Freedberg","date":"May 21, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Mass Audubon protects dozens of endangered species with different strategies from habitat protection, science-based management plans, and advocacy. Here are just a few of the ways we\u2019re watching out for rare and declining wildlife. Helping Shorebirds Share the Beach Piping Plovers and Least Terns nest on the ground along Massachusetts\u2019\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/4052Corey_Nimmer25947-750x501-772f638e-5480-442a-a94e-379302b22332.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8716,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/how-to-help-turtles\/","url_meta":{"origin":1424,"position":5},"title":"How to Help Turtles","author":"Hillary T.","date":"March 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Go out for a nature walk on a sunny day and there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll spot a turtle basking in the sun. If something is so common, it probably doesn\u2019t need our help, right? Not so fast. Turtles may be found in our ponds, streams, rivers, and oceans, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2017\/03\/2709Tammy_Vezina9656.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1424\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}