Pancake the Sea Turtle Survives Freezing, Returns to Ocean

Crowds gathered on Coney Island in July, chanting a name that brought hope to everyone who heard it: "Pancake! Pancake! Pancake!" They weren't cheering for breakfast—they were celebrating a rare sea turtle's triumphant return to the ocean.

Pancake is a Kemp's ridley, the most endangered sea turtle species in the world. Every single one that survives matters deeply for the species' future.

Last November, the turtle was one of 667 sea turtles rescued from a mass cold-stunning event on Cape Cod Bay beaches. Hypothermic and struggling, these turtles needed immediate help to survive the freezing temperatures.

Mass Audubon and the New England Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital rushed into action, moving the cold-stunned turtles to safety. Pancake spent eight months recovering at the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society's Sea Turtle Care Facility in Westhampton Beach.

The care team fed Pancake a steady diet of shrimp and clams, watching carefully as the turtle regained strength and appetite. Once Pancake showed strong swimming skills and gained back healthy weight, doctors cleared the turtle for release.

"Every Kemp's ridley returned to the ocean is a victory for one of the world's most endangered sea turtle species," said John F. Calvelli, executive vice president of public affairs for the Wildlife Conservation Society. The organization runs the New York Aquarium, which hosted the release celebration.

The Ripple Effect

Pancake's story sparked statewide attention and reminded New Yorkers that endangered marine species swim right off their coast. State officials praised the collaborative effort that saved not just one turtle, but hundreds.

New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley called the release "an inspiration to all of us who work so hard to preserve and restore our endangered ocean species and habitats." Governor Hochul's investments in the State Environmental Protection Fund are making these rescue efforts possible.

The same week as Pancake's release, five more Kemp's ridley turtles returned to the ocean off Cape Cod. The New England Aquarium released Times New Roman, Papyrus, Gigi, Walter Turncoat, and Punk Kid (yes, named after fonts) after seven months of treatment for pneumonia, dehydration, and trauma.

"These five turtles are now strong enough to survive entirely on their own in the wild," said Dr. Melissa Joblon, director of animal health at the New England Aquarium. "That's the goal—every time."

Six endangered sea turtles swimming free again, thanks to people who refused to give up on them.