Large Sea Turtle Rescued From Cape Cod Beach
WELLFLEET (CBS) – Massachusetts Audubon staff members made a surprising discovery this week when they found a large sea turtle washed onto a Cape Cod beach.
New England Aquarium officials said a 65-pound brown-shelled turtle was reported on Great Island in Wellfleet on Monday afternoon.
It had been two weeks since the last live sea turtle had been found in the area, and recent reports of turtles washed ashore turned out to be carcasses that were collected for research.
But this loggerhead turtle was moving, and a volunteer agreed to drive the hypothermic reptile to the New England Aquarium's sea turtle hospital in Quincy.
The turtle was found to be alive, but lethargic and in need of respiratory treatment.
An aquarium veterinarian provided several forms of treatment to the underweight turtle. As of late Tuesday, the turtle began to rebound and began swimming.
"The prognosis remains guarded, but nearly all signs are trending positively," aquarium officials said.
MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON
