It’s been a great week for sea turtles. Specifically, the endangered olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii). In addition to Pancake’s release from Coney Island, five rehabilitated olive ridley sea turtles are back swimming in the ocean off Cape Cod.

The New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital in Quincy released the sea turtles after seven months of rehabilitation. All animals were treated for various life-threatening medical conditions, including pneumonia, dehydration and trauma.

As is tradition, the staff names each year’s batch of rescued turtles with the same theme. This year’s theme was fonts.

The released turtles are:

• Times New Roman (#512). This turtle, named after a classic typeface originally commissioned in 1931, was stranded on December 3, 2025 in Dennis, Massachusetts.
• Papyrus (Turtle #579). This turtle named after a polarizing source was stranded on December 5, 2025 in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
• Gigi (#590). This turtle named after a fancy typeface was stranded on December 5, 2025 in Brewster, Massachusetts.
• Renegade Walter (#644). This turtle, named after a fun, handwritten-looking font, was stranded on December 10, 2025 in Truro, Massachusetts.
• Punk Boy (#659). This turtle, with a grunge, stencil-style font, was stranded on December 11, 2025, also in Truro, Massachusetts.

5 rehabilitated sea turtles released on Cape Cod

“Our team closely monitors each turtle’s progress and adjusts care as needed during recovery,” Dr. Melissa Joblon, director of Animal Health at the New England Aquarium, said in a statement. “These five turtles are now strong enough to survive on their own in the wild. That is the goal at all times.”

A team of scientists from the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life worked with the rescue team to tag the turtles before their release. These tags collect information about the behavior, habitat use, and survival of the reptiles. This data can help develop conservation and protection efforts for sea turtles.

During the 2025 cold stunning season, the New England Aquarium treated nearly 500 live sea turtles. Most of the patients were olive ridley sea turtles, rescued on Cape Cod from November to December by staff and volunteers at Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

As of this week, the Aquarium has released 35 turtles on Cape Cod this summer. Several turtles continue treatment until they receive medical clearance to return home. Some of the turtles will be added to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Tracker, so turtle enthusiasts can follow them as they roam the Atlantic.

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