Hull Aquarists Save 470 Endangered Sea Turtles in Cape Cod

Imagine finding a sea turtle washed up on a frozen beach with no detectable heartbeat, then watching it swim away healthy months later.

That's exactly what Shoshana Levine and Gavin Clarke experienced during their volunteer work at the New England Aquarium in Cape Cod. The two aquarists traveled from The Deep aquarium in Hull, England to help save critically endangered sea turtles caught in a deadly migration trap.

Every autumn, sea turtles migrate south toward warmer waters as temperatures drop. But the hook-shaped Cape Cod Bay creates a dangerous situation where sudden temperature changes leave turtles "cold-stunned" and stranded on miles of beaches.

Levine and Clarke braved temperatures as low as negative 25 degrees Celsius to rescue four species, including the critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle. They also saved leatherback, green, and loggerhead turtles.

"They come in as little ice cubes, sometimes without a heartbeat, and can completely recover," Levine said. The rescue center has treated more than 470 turtles with survival rates between 80 and 90 percent.

The Ripple Effect

This marks the seventh year The Deep has sent volunteers to support the conservation project. Clarke was struck by how many organizations worldwide work together on turtle rescue, sharing resources and knowledge to save these ancient creatures.

The collaboration proves that global conservation efforts can make real differences for species facing extinction. Each rescued turtle has a chance to breed and strengthen populations that have dwindled dangerously low.

The passion driving the project is palpable among all staff members. "It's amazing to see the network of organizations that work together and share a common goal, to get all these turtles healthy and released," Clarke said.

Levine returns year after year because the work never stops inspiring her. "I always love working with their incredible team and helping save turtles," she said.

These frozen beaches in Cape Cod have become an unlikely front line in the fight to save sea turtles from extinction, one heartbeat at a time.