A cold snap has led to the deaths of nearly 190 sea turtles along the Cape Cod coast in Massachusetts on Friday.
The Cape Cod Times reported that, according to Jenette Kerr, the communications coordinator for the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuay, most turtles are coming into the sanctuary dead.
"We are at well over 400 cold-stunned turtles (for the year) — 82 today, the vast majority of them frozen solid," Kerr told the newspaper Nov. 22. "(On Wednesday) we had 87, the vast majority of them alive. Drastic change in the weather overnight. Most of the turtles are coming in from Brewster, Orleans and Eastham. We fear we may get more frozen turtles on (Thursday night's) and (Friday's) high tides."
Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary Director Bob Prescott told NBC News nearly 190 turtles were found frozen off the Cape Cod coast Friday.
Prescott said the sanctuary will help with tests to determine the exact cause of death of the turtles, but he said they did “essentially freeze.”
“A lot of the turtles were found frozen in the water still,” Prescott said. “I picked up two to three myself that were still in the water, the slushy water.”
The Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary said the cold-stun season for sea turtles started Oct. 22 with a rescue by Wellfeet Bay.
About the Author
