Stranded New England sea turtles released to wild in Georgia

In this Sept.11, 2019 photo, a green sea turtle swims near coral in a bay on the west coast of the Big Island near Captain Cook, Hawaii. U.S. federal researchers in Hawaii say ocean temperatures around the archipelago are on track to match or even surpass records set in 2015, the hottest year on record for the Pacific Ocean. They predict that heat will cause some of the worst coral bleaching and mortality the region has ever seen, and some coral are already showing signs of distress. (AP Photo/Brian Skoloff) In this Sept.11, 2019 photo, a green sea turtle swims near coral in a bay on the west coast of the Big Island near Captain Cook, Hawaii. U.S. federal researchers in Hawaii say ocean temperatures around the archipelago are on track to match or even surpass records set in 2015, the hottest year on record for the Pacific Ocean. They predict that heat will cause some of the worst coral bleaching and mortality the region has ever seen, and some coral are already showing signs of distress. (AP Photo/Brian Skoloff)

By Associated Press April 1, 2020 1 min read

QUINCY, Mass. (AP) – The New England Aquarium has released 17 sea turtles that were stranded on Cape Cod back into the wild in Georgia.

The aquarium said Tuesday the animals spent four to five months at its Animal Care Center in Quincy prior to release. Volunteer pilots with a group called Turtles Fly Too flew the animals out of the Marshfield Airport on Saturday, the aquarium said.

The turtles needed to be treated for life-threatening conditions resulting from hypothermia and inability to feed, the aquarium said. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island cleared them for release after a brief exam by its head veterinarian and staff, it said.

Turtle strandings happen in New England when waters quickly turn cold in the fall.