A Six-Hundred-Pound Leatherback Sea Turtle, Stranded On Cape Cod, Was Rescued And Released Back Into The Ocean

“Our initial evaluation indicated that the turtle was very strong and in good body condition, and this helped us to decide that it was a good candidate for release,” Dr. Innis concluded.

The leatherback received small identification tags- including a microchip, metal band, acoustic, and satellite tags- before being released back into the ocean.

IFAW; pictured above is the turtle that was rescued

The turtle was cheered on by the community as it waded its way into Herring Cove in Provincetown.

The aquarium will be tracking the turtle- via the satellite tag- to ensure its survival over the next thirty days. The acoustic tag will also allow the aquarium to track the turtle’s migratory patterns for the next five to ten years.

Dr. Kara Dodge, a research scientist at the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, believes this sea turtle’s robust health was a miracle.

“When working with stranded sea turtles in New England, it’s a rarity to have a turtle that is in such good condition… we feel optimistic that it will survive, thanks to the collective rescue efforts of this fantastic group of colleagues.”