Aquarium releases 17 rehabilitated sea turtles into ocean waters off Cape Cod

BOSTON, MASS. (June 25, 2025) – After months undergoing rehabilitative care for life-threatening injuries at the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital, 17 endangered and threatened sea turtles were released this morning back into the waters off Cape Cod. Nine Kemp’s ridleys, five loggerheads, and three green sea turtles were among the first group of rehabilitated sea turtles released this summer.

**PHOTOS AND VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE, WITH CREDIT TO THE NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM**

Loggerhead, green, and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are all threatened or endangered species, facing threats including fisheries interactions, climate change, ocean pollution, and degradation of their habitats. Rescue and rehabilitation efforts help to conserve this species.

For the past seven months, staff at the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy, MA, treated the hypothermic turtles for a variety of life-threatening medical conditions, including pneumonia, dehydration, and trauma. Staff veterinarians cleared the sea turtles to return to Nantucket Sound from West Dennis Beach, where the water temperature recently crossed the 65-degree threshold for the turtles to reacclimate in the ocean.

Aquarium staff, volunteers, and interns have a tradition of naming the turtles receiving long-term care, with this year’s theme being Greek mythology. Turtles released this past week include Selene, Oceanus, Pan, Athena, and Tyche. (Full list below.) Tyche, a critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, recently gained fame on social media after its dramatic reveal following the expert care provided by Aquarium staff that allowed it to heal from a significant facial injury.

“As we complete the first sea turtle release of the season, it’s a powerful reminder of the impact of this rescue and rehabilitation work,” said Adam Kennedy, Director of Rescue and Rehabilitation at the Aquarium. “We dedicate months to the turtles’ recovery and take pride in seeing them return to the waters off Cape Cod. Our conservation and research efforts are helping ensure these species remain part of our ocean for years to come.”

Scientists from the Aquarium’s research arm, the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, worked with the Rescue team to tag 10 of the turtles for post-release monitoring. The tags collect information about the turtles’ behavior, habitat use, and survivorship, which helps inform sea turtle conservation and protection efforts, especially in New England where little is known about these species. This season, the team is using a combination of satellite tags for real-time data and acoustic tags for longer-term tracking; some of the turtles will be added to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Tracker for the public to follow their journey. This work is permitted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

During the 2024 cold-stunning season, the Aquarium treated 518 live sea turtles that were rescued from the shores of Cape Cod from November to January by staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Getting these turtles back to health requires a collaborative effort between biologists, veterinarians and researchers. There are 25 turtles remaining at the Aquarium’s Quincy facility, which will be released off Cape Cod this summer once medically cleared by Aquarium veterinarians.

More details on the released turtles:

• “Aphrodite” (#180) – Green sea turtle
  • Stranded Nov. 25, 2024, in Eastham, MA
• “Zeus” (#226) – Green sea turtle
  • Stranded Nov. 29, 2024, in Wellfleet, MA
• “Pan” (#249) – Green sea turtle
  • Stranded Dec. 1, 2024, in Wellfleet, MA
• “Graeae” (#473) – Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 3, 2024, in Brewster, MA
• “Lips” (#477) – Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 3, 2024, in Wellfleet, MA
• “Hades” (#548) – Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 5, 2024, in Truro, MA
• “Brizo” (#673)– Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 6, 2024, in Brewster, MA
• “Selene” (#684) – Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 6, 2024, in Brewster, MA
• “Phoenix” (#685) – Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 6, 2024, in Brewster, MA
• “Tyche” (#688) – Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 6, 2024, in Wellfleet, MA
• “Helios” (#691) – Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 6, 2024, in Brewster, MA
• “Chronos” (#693) – Kemp’s ridley
  • Stranded Dec. 6, 2024, in Brewster, MA
• “Helen” (#854) – Loggerhead
  • Stranded Dec. 21, 2024, in Barnstable, MA
• “Oceanus” (#887) – Loggerhead
  • Stranded Dec. 26, 2024, in Dennis, MA
• “Athena” (#888) – Loggerhead
  • Stranded Dec. 12, 2024, in Orleans, MA
• “Eros” (#894) – Loggerhead
  • Stranded Dec. 30, 2024, in Truro, MA
• “Atlas” (#895) – Loggerhead
  • Stranded Dec. 31, 2024, in Truro, MA

MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org