New England Aquarium share how Mississippi partnership help saves sea turtles

GULF COAST, Miss. (WLOX) – The 70 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles being nursed back to health on the Coast were first rescued from freezing water in Massachusetts.

A nationwide partnership aimed at protecting the critically-endangered species begins with New England Aquarium Rescue taking the turtles out of the water.

“If we can do something to keep these turtles around, we should be doing that.” Adam Kennedy of the New England Aquarium Rescue told WLOX.

Kennedy is the Rehab Director for the aquarium’s sea turtle hospital in Boston where cold stuns are common.

He says turtles began stranding in early November, and they suffered from hypothermia and were unable to feed.

When the facility reached capacity, Kennedy and his team shipped the turtles to warmer partners across the country, including the Institute for Marine Mammal Science and the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport.

“Given the fact that these turtles are critically endangered, I want to make sure that we do everything that we can.” Kennedy said.

He points to the geographical shape of Massachusetts as a hurdle for migrating turtles, especially ones entering the hook-shaped Cape Cod Bay in the summer.

“Fall comes and the turtles start to try to head south. They kind of can’t navigate straight south, and they get trapped into that bay,” he said.

The New England Aquarium has helped save 394 sea turtles so far this season, including the 70 sent to Mississippi.

With average core temperatures ranging from 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, Kennedy has recorded some of the turtles’ body temperatures in the 30′s.

“Really, what we see are these turtles that come in that – a lot of them look like they’re dead,” he said.

But with this nation-wide teamwork, they’re recovering and bound back to open waters.

“I would hate to have to explain to my children or grandchildren someday that, you know, there were these cool sea turtles, but, unfortunately, we don’t have them here anymore. So, I wanna make sure we never have to have that conversation,” Kennedy said.

Check out our stories of how South Mississippi researchers are doing their part to save the Kemp’s ridley sea turtles.

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