A Very Rare Sea Turtle Washes Up On A Long Island Beach

A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, barely alive from the cold water, washed up on a Long Island beach the other day. A fellow from Sag Harbor found it, took it home (which was illegal and also dangerous for the turtle), and then called the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, which is now trying to revive it.

Twenty years ago, cold-stunned Kemp’s ridleys were fairly common on Long Island’s north shore. The turtles ride the Gulf Stream north and then for some reason juveniles fail to get back to warmer waters before the temperature drops. I haven’t heard of a major cold-stunning episode since then though. Call this number if you find a turtle on the beach: 631-369-9829.

I wrote a long chapter about sea turtles in the Sound but then decided not to use it in my book. You can read it here.