Overview
- A crowd at Coney Island watched Pancake enter the Atlantic on Thursday as staff from the New York Aquarium, Wildlife Conservation Society and partner groups cheered the release.
- Pancake was found cold-stunned on Cape Cod on November 22, 2025, received emergency care at the New England Aquarium and was moved to AMSEAS for long-term rehabilitation on December 3, 2025.
- During seven months of care Pancake regained strong swimming and feeding behavior, now weighs about 11 pounds and is estimated to be two to five years old.
- A satellite tracking device was attached to Pancake’s shell so researchers can monitor post-release movements and assess short-term survival and habitat use.
- The release highlights coordinated rescue and rehab work—AMSEAS and partners have treated roughly 125 sea turtles since 2020—and underscores persistent threats to the endangered Kemp’s ridley such as cold-stunning, fishing bycatch and marine debris.