Do turtles get stranded like whales?
Stranding is common problem among sea turtles in the northern Atlantic. This can occur when a turtle becomes trapped in northern waters during the winter months. Scientists hypothesize that migration, distribution, and current patterns may influence these entrapments. Frigid water temperatures reduce the turtles’ body temperatures below normal and they wash ashore in a condition called cold-stunned. This type of stranding is not unusual and occurs among loggerhead and ridley sea turtles. Each winter, several cold-stunned turtles are rescued from Cape Cod beaches and taken to the New England Aquarium for rehabilitation as part of the Aquarium’s Marine Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation program. Kayakers discover Leatherback stranded in Barnstable Harbor, Cape Cod Image Courtesy of Thomas N.
