Cape Cod and New England- Sea Turtle Stranding Season

[stoneaxe]

For my fellow Cape Cod and Northern water SUpers....just in case you happen across one of these guys.

Every Fall, as the water of Cape Cod Bay grows colder, sea turtles who have come north to feed wash ashore on beaches from Brewster to Wellfleet. The body temperatures of these marine reptiles is determined by their environment. When the water gets down to around 50F the sea turtles' circulatory systems slow down and they become "cold-stunned." Unable to swim, the stunned turtles are swept along by wind and current. Last year 39 turtles were stranded on Cape Cod; in 1999 more than 250 turtles were stranded. Kemp's Ridleys and Loggerheads are the species most commonly found, but Green and even Hawksbill turtles have washed up as well.

If you come acress a stranded sea turtle please note that while it may look dead, the chances are it is still alive. Here's what you do:

1. Do not put it back in the water. Do not remove it from the beach.
2. Move it above the high tide line.
3. Cover it with seaweed to protect it from the cold and mark its location with a stick, buoy or other beach debris.
4. Call Mass Audobon in Wellfleet at 508-349-2615 and leave a message with the turtle's location. Please be as specific as possible in giving directions from the nearest beach access so the turtle can be recovered quickly.
5. The turtle will be taken to a holding facility where it will be warmed slowly (5 degrees per day) until it is active. It will then be fed, rehabilitated and eventually, released.

Information from Morebeach.com
http://www.morebeach.com/blog/sea_creatures/sea_turtle_stranding_season_begins_on_cape_cod.html

[SUPer Dave]

We have had a few dead turtles here in montauk this year..More than i can remember,unfortunatly they were very dead when they washed ahore.one was a big loggerhead....Hey how is the flounder fishing up there used to fish out of Hull Mass, in the old days,,Like 25 yrs ago when boston harbor was more polluted..It was a great fishery...flounder small cod .. have you guys gotten waves from this low pressure system..We have waves but shit wind..Thanks Dave

[stoneaxe]

Hi Dave,

Boy that brings back memories...used to fish in Boston Harbor all the time as a kid. Kind of scary when you think about what chemicals we were probably eating along with the fish...used to get bags of flounder. I haven't fished off Hull though I surf Nantasket often. Need to bring my rig next time. The harbor has been cleaned up a lot. Whereabouts did you do most of the fishing? The flats between Hull and Boston? Reachable by SUP?

We got some great waves from this one. Head high + and glassy from Wednesday to Saturday then the wind turned onshore a bit. Was looking good toady but couldn't make it out.

[Tree]

Fishing sucked and didn't see any stranded turtles but scored some nice 5' @ 11 secs groundswell in perfect glassy light offshores after work today in the frozen wasteland.   

[stoneaxe]

Keep your eyes open...its that time of year again.