Close to 190 dead sea turtles were found frozen off the coast of Cape Cod Friday after low temperatures stifled their ability to make it safely to shore.
The Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary said a “once in a lifetime weather system” of “gale force winds,” cold temperatures and high tide caused the migrating turtles to become “incapacitated” by the time they were found along the Massachusetts peninsula around 6 a.m. ET Friday.
“A lot of the turtles were found frozen in the water still,” Mass Audubon’s director Bob Prescott told NBC News. “I picked up two to three myself that were still in the water, the slushy water.”
Prescott said that while the organization will help facilitate tests on the turtles to determine the exact cause of death, the turtles did “essentially freeze.” Overall, the Mass Audubon said they have found over 400 dead turtles this season.