This past December 9th, the Zoo Miami Sea Turtle Hospital received its first out of state patients when 8 cold-stunned juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were flown in from the Cape Cod area.  The turtles had been exposed to rapidly dropping temperatures in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and were suffering from a variety of issues ranging from emaciation, abrasions, dehydration and swollen eyes.

Following several weeks of dedicated care, 6 of the 8 individuals have made an excellent recovery reflected in significant weight gain and increased mobility as well as the healing of their abrasions.  They were each examined, measured and had transponders inserted for future identification.  On Friday, January 13th, Zoo Miami Sea Turtle Hospital supervisor, Rosemary Lucas, packed up the 6 recovered individuals and transported them to a site near Cape Canaveral where they were successfully released.

The Kemp’s ridley turtle is the world’s most endangered and smallest species of sea turtle with a shell length rarely exceeding two feet and weighing up to a hundred pounds. They are found from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up the eastern seaboard to Nova Scotia where they feed primarily on crabs and other shellfish.  Illegal harvesting of their eggs and getting caught in nets are the main reasons for their critically endangered status.