Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles, Healed On LI, Heading Home

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — After 169 days spent healing at the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society's critical care sea turtle facility in Westhampton Beach, 11 rehabilitated Kemp's ridley sea turtles headed home Friday.

The turtles were transported to Gabreski Airport by AMSEAS' biologists for a flight, coordinated by Turtles Fly Too, to Fort Macon State Park in North Carolina, where they were released back into the ocean by staff from the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission.

This past year marks the 100th sea turtle admitted into AMSEAS' care, the organization said.

In December, 2024, AMSEAS said it was asked by that National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration for the fifth year in a row to help during the busy 2024 cold stun season by providing short-term care for cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles.

On December 6, 2024, AMSEAS admitted 20 cold-stunned turtles to triage in their Westhampton Beach critical care sea turtle facility. The sea turtles arrived from the New England Aquarium on a flight coordinated by Turtles Fly Too, landing at Gabreski Airport. AMSEAS’ efforts are part of the Specially Trained Animal Response Team to help provide support to other organizations within the network, the organization said.

Cold-stunning is a condition in which sea turtles become hypothermic caused by prolonged exposure to cold water, typically when temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The hypothermic state causes sea turtles to become weak and lethargic, unable to swim and eat, and put them ultimately at risk for frostbite, pneumonia, and even death if not rescued and treated quickly.

"When we founded Atlantic Marine Conservation Society in 2016, it was always with the idea that we would help other stranding network members and fellow conservation organizations," said AMSEAS Chief Scientist Rob DiGiovanni. "Nothing we do is just about us. It truly takes a village to make a difference, and we pride ourselves on being able to assist in stranding events such as these. Promoting marine conservation through action is absolutely a group effort, and we are grateful to work with our network partners at NYMRC, Mystic Aquarium, Turtles Fly Too, and NOAA Fisheries to help release these endangered sea turtles back into their ocean home and give them a second chance."

All the turtles taken in at AMSEAS for rehabilitation were found on the beaches around the Cape Cod shoreline and transferred to the Westhampton Beach facility. Many of the sea turtles that were being transferred were on the beach for two or three days before they were flown out to other facilities, thereby still in much need of critical care and support. During their time in rehabilitation, AMSEAS scientists and volunteers cared for the sea turtles, including daily feeds and water quality checks. Behavioral checks were also critical to ensure the turtles were competitive for food and able to swim throughout the water column, two of the required behaviors before any turtles are cleared to be released into the wild.

AMSEAS was formed in the fall of 2016 to help its stranding network partners and is authorized to respond to both live and dead marine mammals and sea turtles in New York. The sea turtle critical care facility was created in the fall of 2020 when the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic further stressed the resources of the Greater Atlantic Regional Stranding Network. Since then, 100 endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles, including the 11 sea turtles released on Friday, have received medical care at AMSEAS' facility. Along with the 11 sea turtles from AMSEAS, three Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and two Atlantic green sea turtles rehabilitated by New York Marine Rescue Center and one Kemp’s ridley sea turtle rehabilitated by Mystic Aquarium were also transported on the flight and released.

AMSEAS said it was grateful for all its supporters, friends and partners "that helped make it possible to spin up and help with donations, supplies, resources, and support. These resources are vital to AMSEAS’ ability to continue response operations to help these imperiled species, especially in a political climate that has proven increasingly difficult for environmental and conservation-based work, with many lingering uncertainties about the future."

All stranded marine mammals and sea turtles should be reported to the NY Stranding Hotline: 631-369-9829.