VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Following last year's record number of hooked sea turtles reported, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center saw another high rate of the reptiles being caught in fishing lines this year.
In 2023, the aquarium's Stranding Response Team was called to 62 reports of hooked turtles in the Commonwealth, plus one from Delaware that was transferred for hook removal, bringing the total to 63. This is just shy of 2022's record of 71 reported hooked turtles and 60 admitted, officials said.
Officials said 56 of the sea turtles reported hooked in 2023 were rescued and brought to the Aquarium’s Darden Marine Animal Conservation Center (DMACC) for rehabilitation.
"The remaining seven were unable to be retrieved either because the Aquarium was notified after the interaction occurred or because the fishing line broke during retrieval and the sea turtle swam away," according to a release from the aquarium.
Of the 56 turtles undergoing rehab, 46 have already been released back into the ocean. The other eight are still being treated, with aquarium officials saying six of them are recovering at the DMACC, and two have been transferred to other facilities.
The majority of the sea turtles hooked this season, including the first one reported, were identified as Kemp's ridley, a critically endangered species. Three loggerheads were also rescued this season.
With the "hooked sea turtle season" concluding, the aquarium said its response team is now gearing up for the "cold stun season."
Anyone who sees a sea turtle or other marine animal on the beach or in distress is urged to call the Aquarium’s Stranding hotline at 757-385-7575. It is available 24/7.