Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles on Cape Cod: What to Do If You Find One
If a sea turtle is stranded on a Cape Cod beach, do not put it back in the water. Move it above the high-tide line as directed below, protect it with dry seaweed or wrack, mark the spot, and call the Wellfleet Bay 24-hour sea turtle hotline.
Cold stunning can leave a turtle nearly motionless. Do not test it by putting it back in the ocean and do not try to warm it rapidly.
Call 508-349-2615Choose Option 2 for Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay's 24-hour sea turtle hotline.
Found a sea turtle on the beach? Do these 5 things
Keep it out of the water
A cold-stunned turtle may be unable to swim. Returning it to Cape Cod Bay can put it straight back in danger.
Move above high tide
Carefully reposition it above the high-tide line. Never lift or drag a sea turtle by its head or flippers.
Cover with wrack
Use dry seaweed or beach wrack to shield it from wind. Do not bury the turtle and do not cover it with sand.
Mark + save the location
Use visible driftwood, a buoy, branches, or a large arrow in the sand. Also drop a GPS pin or save the phone’s coordinates so you can share the exact location with responders.
Call the hotline
Call Wellfleet Bay at 508-349-2615, Option 2, and follow the responder's instructions.
Who to call for a stranded sea turtle on Cape Cod
For a stranded sea turtle on Cape Cod, call Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary at 508-349-2615 and choose Option 2. The sea turtle hotline operates 24 hours during the rescue season.
Wellfleet Bay staff and trained volunteers coordinate beach recovery. Turtles are stabilized and then transferred to authorized rehabilitation facilities such as the New England Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital or the National Marine Life Center.
Do not drive a sea turtle to a general wildlife rehabilitator on your own. Sea turtles are protected under both federal and Massachusetts law, and transport requires authorization.
Choose Option 2. Be ready to describe the beach, nearest access point, visible landmarks and whether the tide is rising or falling. If possible, have a dropped map pin or GPS coordinates ready to share.
Call Wellfleet BayWhat not to do with a cold-stunned turtle
Do not put it back in the ocean
A cold-stunned turtle may not have the strength to swim. The same cold water that caused the problem is not a safe place to “revive” it.
Do not warm it quickly
Do not place the turtle in hot water, in front of a heater, or in a very warm vehicle. Rehabilitation teams raise body temperature gradually while monitoring the animal.
Do not assume it is dead
Severe cold stunning can make a turtle appear lifeless. Some turtles found with almost no visible response recover after controlled stabilization and veterinary care.
Do not transport it without direction
Sea turtles are protected wildlife. Call the authorized stranding response team and follow their instructions instead of improvising transport.
When is cold-stunned sea turtle season on Cape Cod?
Mass Audubon describes Cape Cod cold-stun strandings as occurring mainly from November to mid-January, beginning as local ocean temperatures fall. New England Aquarium describes its main rescue season as late October into December, with the peak usually beginning in mid-November.
The exact surge is weather-dependent. Strong onshore winds, tides and rapidly cooling water can concentrate many strandings into a short period. A quiet week does not mean the season is over.
A simple Cape Cod timeline
- May–early fall: sea turtles feed in New England coastal waters.
- Late October: early cold-stun cases can begin.
- Mid-November–December: the main rescue workload typically builds.
- Into mid-January: late strandings can still occur.
Why Cape Cod produces so many cold-stunned turtles
1. Young turtles move north
Kemp's ridleys, green turtles and loggerheads enter productive New England waters in warmer months to feed.
2. The bay cools
As autumn advances, sea turtles need to move south. Their body temperature depends heavily on the surrounding water.
3. The Cape's hook delays escape
Some turtles remain inside Cape Cod Bay instead of clearing the peninsula. Cooling water slows their metabolism and swimming ability.
Kemp's ridley
Most Cape Cod cold-stun strandings involve juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtles. They are small compared with adult loggerheads and are among the most endangered sea turtles.
Which sea turtles strand on Cape Cod?
Kemp's ridley: the dominant species in most mass-stranding years.
Green sea turtle: also regularly cold-stunned; green turtles may appear early in some seasons.
Loggerhead: less numerous than Kemp's ridleys but often much larger and harder for one person to reposition safely.
Leatherback sea turtles also occur in Massachusetts waters, but they do not become cold-stunned and strand in the annual Cape Cod cold-stun pattern described here.
How large can a Cape Cod cold-stun event become?
Mass Audubon's 2025 season review also reported 67 green turtles and 27 loggerheads. More than half of that season's strandings were on Wellfleet and Truro shores, although wind and currents can shift the hot spots dramatically from one year to the next.
The practical lesson is simple: do not wait for someone else to report a turtle. Even during a mass-stranding period, a single clearly marked location and prompt hotline call can shorten the time an animal remains exposed on a cold beach.
Walking Cape Cod beaches during turtle season
On the bay side in November and December, scan the wrack line and upper beach as well as the water's edge. A stranded turtle can be partly covered by seaweed and may not move when approached.
After strong winds and cold fronts, the chance of finding a turtle may rise. Tides matter too: responders patrol around changing tide cycles because newly stranded turtles can arrive with waves and then be left exposed as water recedes.
If you find one, prioritize the rescue sequence over species identification or photographs.
For a cold beach walk
- A charged phone.
- Warm, windproof clothing.
- A clear way to identify the beach access or nearest landmark.
- Awareness of the tide and your own safe route off the beach.
Never put yourself in surf, ice, darkness or dangerous weather to reach an animal. Give responders the best location information you safely can.
Common Questions
When do cold-stunned sea turtles wash up on Cape Cod?
Most strandings occur from November into mid-January. New England Aquarium describes the main season as late October into December, with activity usually building from mid-November as Cape Cod Bay cools.
What should I do if I find a sea turtle on a Cape Cod beach?
Do not put it back in the water. Carefully move it above the high-tide line without lifting it by the head or flippers, cover it with dry seaweed or wrack, mark the location clearly, and call Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay hotline at 508-349-2615, Option 2.
Should I put a cold-stunned sea turtle back in the ocean?
No. A cold-stunned turtle may be too weak to swim and can drown or be washed ashore again. Keep it above the high-tide line and call the rescue hotline.
Can a cold-stunned sea turtle look dead and still be alive?
Yes. Cold-stunned turtles can be extremely still and unresponsive. Mass Audubon specifically advises not to assume a stranded turtle is dead.
Should I warm a cold-stunned sea turtle myself?
No. Do not place the turtle in a heated car, warm water, or direct heat. Rapid warming can be harmful; trained responders stabilize body temperature gradually.
What number should I call for a stranded sea turtle on Cape Cod?
Call Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary at 508-349-2615 and choose Option 2 for the 24-hour sea turtle hotline.
Why do sea turtles get trapped around Cape Cod?
Young sea turtles feeding in Cape Cod Bay may try to move south as water cools but the hook-shaped Cape can delay their exit. Once the water becomes too cold, they may lose the ability to swim and winds and tides can push them onto beaches.
What species are usually cold-stunned on Cape Cod?
Kemp's ridley turtles are the most common, with green turtles and loggerheads also stranding. Leatherback sea turtles occur in Massachusetts waters, but they do not become cold-stunned and strand in the annual Cape Cod cold-stun pattern described here.
Can I drive a stranded sea turtle to a wildlife rehabilitator?
Do not transport a sea turtle on your own unless an authorized responder directs you to do so. Sea turtles are protected under state and federal law, and transport requires authorization.
Where on Cape Cod are cold-stunned turtles most often found?
The bay side of Cape Cod is the main stranding area, but the exact beaches vary with wind, tide and currents. In 2025, more than half of reported strandings were on Wellfleet and Truro shores, while turtles also appeared in less common locations.