Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Stories that are part of our lives

About those turtles

By

Sea turtle swimming

 

Phyllis Root, Liza Ketchum, and I had a wonderful time this summer launching our book Turtles Heading Home at the New England Aquarium. The book tells the story of the impressive efforts of volunteers and veterinarians to rehabilitate turtles, mainly Kemp’s Ridleys, that become cold-stunned and stranded in the waters around Cape Cod. The New England Aquarium hospital is an important partner in rescuing these turtles and we were so grateful that we could be there for the book launch. We were also grateful that many of the people who work to save these turtles came to our event. It was a very special afternoon!

We are so pleased to share this story with turtle lovers of all ages. Here is what Booklist had to say about Turtles Heading Home:

“Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, a critically endangered species that makes annual migrations from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the beaches of Cape Cod, are increasingly being affected by cooler temperatures resulting from climate change. This offering follows volunteers finding cold-stunned, paralyzed turtles on New England beaches, packing them in seaweed, and transporting them to emergency rescue facilities. Present tense action verbs and close-up photos move each sea turtle along its perilous path, through a nighttime rescue, a hurried drive in a temperature-controlled car, a thorough rinsing and physical examination by an aquarium doctor, a gradual warming in increasingly higher temperature tanks, and careful monitoring of eating and pooping. Even after all of this tender loving care, the turtles still need help, so volunteer pilots use private planes to transport them to long-care recovery centers in the hopes of eventually releasing the turtles back into ocean waters. The book’s nonstop action conveys immediacy and hope; rich back matter offers considerable support. An especially informative and positive resource about conservation, suitable for all STEM collections.”

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