Dozens of Cape Cod sea turtles have been killed by cold weather along Cape Cod

Consecutive nights in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with single-digit temperatures, killed more than 80 sea turtles, most of which were endangered species, the Ridley Sea Turtles of Kemp. The turtles were found stranded on the beaches of Brewster, Orleans and Eastham.

On Wednesday morning, 87 turtles were found stranded on the shore, but most survived. The 82 turtles discovered Thursday morning were not so lucky. Since the end of October, more than 400 cold-weathered turtles have been reported, according to Jennette Kerr, communications coordinator for the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary of the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

Sea turtles and other reptiles are stunned by the temperature. According to the National Park Service, "a cold turtle has become hypothermia due to extreme cold". Sea turtles, like other reptiles, are cold-blooded and therefore can not regulate their body temperature. When the water temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the turtles become motionless and float to the surface. When they land, they remain motionless and the freezing temperatures at night make their survival impossible.

Ridley Sea Turtles in Kemp are the most endangered sea turtle species and are also the most commonly stunned species. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the largest concentration of cold-stunned turtles is found in Massachusetts.

An endangered Kemp Sea Turtle, rescued in New England and rehabilitated by the Audubon Nature Institute, swims while she is released in the Gulf of Mexico, 24 miles off the coast of Louisiana, Thursday, January 29 2015. (AP Photo / Gerald Herbert)

"Recently, we had an average of about 600 cold-stunned sea turtles in Massachusetts from late October to December," NOAA wrote. "In addition, New York, and especially the beaches of Long Island, also see several turtles stunned by the cold every winter."

The cold-stunned sea turtles at Cape Cod are brought to the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Kerr told capecodtimes.com that she feared that many other frozen turtles would fail over the next few nights due to historically low temperatures.

Sea turtles normally migrate south in late fall and winter, but dizziness caused by turtle dizziness has increased in recent years. Kerr told The Boston Globe that there was no clear reason for this, but she suspected it was becoming more visible due to a prolonged and successful conservation.

"Because marine turtle conservation is more successful, outbreaks are more successful," Kerr told the Boston Globe. "So we're probably the result of 10 to 15 years of success at the nesting beaches. Temperatures have increased, so more turtles are probably hitting colder waters unexpectedly and get trapped in Cape Cod as they head south. "

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