Kemp's Ridley

"Most Sea Turtles are ectothermic, meaning that their body temperature is regulated by the temperature of the water around them. As winter approaches, the water of Cape Cod Bay slowly decreases, and sea turtles begin to make their way south to warmer tropical waters.

However, each year since the late 1970s, some number of juvenile turtles does not make the journey in time. Trapped by the hook of the Cape, the turtles become disoriented. When the water reaches about 50° by mid-November, the turtles are too cold to eat, drink, or swim, and become “cold-stunned.”

Unable to move, these turtles are at the mercy of the winds and currents. When strong winds blow in from the north or west, the turtles can be pushed up onto the beach and left behind by the receding tide.

But these cold-stunned turtles are lucky. Since 1979, Wellfleet Bay staff and a corps of over 250 volunteers have patrolled the beaches of Cape Cod, on the lookout for cold-stunned turtles, which are rapidly transported to the New England Aquarium for evaluation and rehabilitation." Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary