Nine sea turtles, named after Baltimore neighborhoods, were released back to the ocean on Thursday morning after rehabilitation at the National Aquarium. The turtles, named St. Paul, Fells Point, Glen, Mount Vernon, Hamilton, Cherry Hill, Little Italy, Lakeland, and Brooklyn, were among 40 sea turtles that arrived at the National Aquarium after being rescued from the cooling waters off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, last December.

Rehabilitation Efforts

The National Aquarium Animal Rescue team, along with several hundred observers, released the turtles from the 40th Street beach access in Ocean City, Maryland. The team is happy to share the release of successfully rehabilitated sea turtles with the community, as it allows people to see the results of the rehab work undertaken each year.

Prior to the most recently released group, 29 sea turtles were released on April 14 from Oak Island, North Carolina. One turtle passed away after arriving at the National Aquarium in the fall, and another, named Patterson Park, is still receiving long-term care at the Aquarium’s off-exhibit rehabilitation pool.

The 40 turtles were rescued after experiencing cold stunning, which occurred when water temperatures plunged in the late fall off the coast of Cape Cod. Complications related to cold stunning can include respiratory difficulties, dehydration, malnutrition, injuries from predators or boat strikes, and various infections.

The National Aquarium Animal Rescue program receives no dedicated federal funding for sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation. The organization supports a bipartisan bill called the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance and Rehabilitation Act, which would create more stable and sustainable funding for rehabilitation programs.

Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.