After seven months of rehabilitation, Dunton and Argo are back in their natural habitat.
The two critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were released into the waters of Wuskenau Beach in Westerly on Aug. 3, the Mystic Aquarium wrote in an Instagram post.
Last fall, the aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program admitted 16 of the endangered turtles that were discovered cold-stunned near Cape Cod. The sea turtles were transferred from the National Marine Life Center in Bourne, Massachusetts.
Dunton and Argo were suffering from wounds, pneumonia and malnourishment due to being cold-stunned, aquarium officials wrote in a Facebook post.
According to the Ocean Conservancy website, the Kemp ridley species is the world’s most endangered sea turtle, with an estimated worldwide nesting population of approximately 1,000.
Every year between November and January, a mass stranding event occurs in the Northeast, aquarium officials said. The sea turtles go into a hypothermic state as temperatures dip sharply.
When a sea turtle becomes cold-stunned, its heart rate and respiration slow down as its body temperature drops. Turtles sent to the aquarium are gradually warmed back to their normal temperature, and the animals receive a treatment plan tailored to their needs.
“After spending seven months in rehabilitation and receiving around-the-clock care from our team of Animal Rescue staff, volunteers, and veterinarians, they are finally back in their ocean home!” the Aquarium wrote on social media.
