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Sea Turtles¹
Leatherback Turtle
Dermochelys
coriacea |
Loggerhead photographed by James Smith on July 2007 Shelf edge Pelagic |
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Sea Turtles in New
England Waters? There are sea turtles in the North Atlantic and diligent watching may bring you exception luck. The species you are most likely to encounter in New England are the Leatherback, and Loggerhead. Kemp's Ridley turtles and Green Sea Turtles are rescued on Cape Cod in the winter in Cape Cod Bay.
Leatherback Turtle
Dermochelys
coriacea
The Leatherback is known to be a deep diver with recorded dives of 2,417 feet and 3,248 feet. They migrate long distances and one tagged specimen from the Indian Ocean was later recaptured in the Atlantic. Another ventured north to Alaska and ended up in the Cordova Museum. They can swim at a speed of 22 mph. They feed primarily on jellyfish. in all oceans except the Antarctic and Arctic. The Grand Banks and Georges Banks are major feeding areas because of the high jellyfish population. Leatherbacks from the Caribbean migrate north in spring to Cabot Strait between Cape Breton Island and Newfoundland to feed on an abundance of jellyfish. Seeing a turtle here can be hard as described by Carl Safina in his new book Voyage of the Turtle. 2006 Safina, Carl Voyage of the Turtle: In pursuit of the Earth's last dinosaur ISBN-13:978-0-8050-7891-6 Henry Holt and Company NY
Loggerhead Turtle
Caretta
caretta Loggerheads have a dull reddish brown shell. They forage on the open ocean near seaweed drift lines and near shore on crabs, mollusks, and other small invertebrates. Length: 34- 49 inches Mass: 176 - 440 pounds
Loggerhead Turtle photographed by Steve Mirick on the BBC July 21 Extreme Shelf Edge Pelagic and used with his permission. This turtle was unusually cooperative and swam close to the boat, under the boat and close to the other side. Not a good sign. Turtles should avoid boats.
Status of Sea Turtles Shrimp fishing kills many sea turtles because the turtles drown in the nets. U.S. fishermen have been persuaded to use turtle excluders on their nets which reduces the kill. Most shrimp served in the United States comes from other countries where these nets are not used. The only place I order shrimp is in south Texas because thanks to the Sea Turtle rescue effort all Texas shrimp is caught by turtle safe boats. Is your shrimp caught by US boats?
Sea Turtle Rescue on South Padre Island Sea Turtle Rescue on Cape Cod and in New England² Wellfleet, Mass.- On Sunday, November 11, two Kemp's ridley and one green sea turtle were rescued from beaches in West Brewster and Dennis. Citizens spotted the turtles and notified Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and a rescue team was dispatched to the scene. All three turtles were found alive and after stabilizing them at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay, a volunteer transported them to the New England Aquarium Rehabilitation Center in Boston. All are alive and expected to survive, according to Mass Audubon Naturalist Dennis Murley. "We usually begin to find the sea turtles around Halloween," says Murley. "But the unusually warm waters delayed their arrival this year." According to Murley, last week's nor'easter caused a shift in winds followed by a cold front and the water temperatures dropped to 50 degrees. The turtles, who are migrating south for warmer waters, become "cold-stunned" from the cooler waters. With temperatures now in the high 40s, southern-bound turtles should continue to wash ashore through December. Last weekend's weather produced consistently northerly winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour through two tides, which kept the turtles in the bay, rather than pushing them out to sea, according to Murley. Both species of turtles are on the United States Endangered Species List. What causes turtle strandings in Cape Cod Bay? One factor may be the summertime warm-water "bridge" that develops between the inshore waters off of Massachusetts, and the offshore waters east of Cape Cod. The turtles follow the warm water into the bay in search of food, but when the water temperature drops, the cold-blooded turtles' body temperature drops, too. This disoriented the turtles, and the harsh winter winds blow the turtles toward the shore, where they are stranded and are too cold to move. "The turtles we find have extremely cold internal body temperatures—around 30 degrees," according to Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary Director Bob Prescott, "and they should be in the Gulf of Mexico where the water temperature is around 90 degrees." Once a turtle is spotted, Prescott and his staff act quickly to remove it from the beach, and to raise its temperature slowly. Stranded turtles have lost important nutrients while in the cold water, and a quick change in temperature would shock their system. Once back at Wellfleet, the staff works around the clock analyzing blood, and re-hydrating the turtles. Once stabilized, the turtles go to the New England Aquarium in Boston for further evaluation and rehabilitation."It's pretty amazing when you bring back a turtle with a body temperature of 30 to 40 degrees, and it starts eating and eventually gets released," says Prescott. With the turtle survival rate between 50 and 60 percent, there have been many touch-and-go situations. A dedicated group of more than 100 volunteers and Wellfleet Bay staff combs Cape Cod beaches on the lookout for stranded turtles. The most common turtle found is the Atlantic ridley (aka Kemp's ridley), partly because conservation measures have increased its population. The endangered loggerhead is also sometimes found, although their larger size usually insulates them from the cold. The green sea turtle is a more uncommon visitor. "Fortunately, this time of year, the survival rate is usually quite high for sea turtles that wash ashore because the air temperature is still fairly warm," says Murley. "It was terrific that the citizens who found the turtles called Mass Audubon's Sea Turtle Rescue Hot Line so we could quickly get them stabilized." The turtles are expected to have a full recovery. With Northwest winds expected later this week, more turtles may be arriving. Mass Audubon is seeking volunteers to help with sea turtle rescues. If interested, call 508-349-2615. If a sea turtle
is found:
Page author Emmalee Tarry ¹ Reference for this page: Sea Turtles: A complete Guide to their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation. by James R. Spotila John Hopkins University Press 2004 ² I have lost the reference for this material. The information is critical to this page. |
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Sea Turtles Last updated: 06/03/2008 |