Staff at the New England Aquarium says this might just be a record influx

Dec 3, 2012 14:20 GMT  ·  By
Dozens of hypothermic sea turtles showed up in Cape Cod over the past few days
   Dozens of hypothermic sea turtles showed up in Cape Cod over the past few days

Over the past four days, as many as 67 sea turtles suffering with hypothermia ended up stranded on beaches in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

As marine zoologists explain, being forced to swim in cold waters numbs the turtles and makes it impossible for them to carry on with their journey. Thus, they are left with no choice but float at the sea's surface and go wherever the currents take them.

Luckily for stranded turtles, the staff at the New England Aquarium's Animal Care Center agreed to take them in and make sure they got back on their fins as soon as possible.

Since the beginning of this year's November, stranded hypothermic sea turtles have been a regular sight in this part of the US, and marine zoologists fear that, over the course of the following days, more such marine animals will decide to pay the beaches in Cape Cod a visit.

More so since, as past occurrences have shown, such strandings take place until late December.

In case anyone is wondering what these marine animals are doing in this part on the US in such large numbers to begin with, the answer is quite simple: the sea turtles are presently engaged in their annual winter migration towards the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the Environmental News Network, the overall headcount for the sea turtles rescued this November in Cape Cod is roughly 120.

Given the fact that it has been quite a while since this many such marine mammals last stranded in Cape Cod, and the New England Aquarium cannot possibly look after all of them, it has been decided that some of the sea turtles are to be sent to other animal sanctuaries nearby.

“With more than 100 rescued sea turtles in care at the Aquarium's Animal Care Center, the rescue team is transferring 18 stable animals all over the East Coast to make room for the ever-growing number of cold-stunned sea turtle patients,” reads the official website for this facility.