Bon voyage, Papyrus! 5 rescued sea turtles named after fonts released in Cape Cod

A rehabilitated Kemp’s ridley sea turtle named Gigi entering Nantucket Sound on July 22, 2026. Image: Vanessa Kahn/New England Aquarium Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. It’s been a big week for sea turtles. Specifically, endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii). In addition to Pancake’s release from Coney Island, five rehabilitated Kemp’s 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 following seven months of rehabilitation.. The animals were all treated for various life-threatening medical conditions, including pneumonia, dehydration, and trauma. As per tradition, the staff names each year’s batch of rescued turtles along the same theme. This year’s theme was fonts. The released turtles are: Times New Roman (#512). Named for a classic typeface originally commissioned in 1931, this turtle was stranded December 3, 2025, in Dennis, Massachusetts. Papyrus (Turtle #579). This turtle named after a polarizing font was stranded December 5, 2025, in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Gigi (#590). This turtle named after a chic typeface was stranded December 5, 2025, in Brewster, Massachusetts. Walter Turncoat (#644). Named after a fun typeface made to look like handwriting, this turtle was stranded December 10, 2025, in Truro, Massachusetts. Punk Kid (#659). A grungy, stencil-style font, this turtle was stranded December 11, 2025, also in Truro, Massachusetts. 5 rehabilitated sea turtles released off Cape Cod “Our team tracks each turtle’s progress closely and adjusts care as needed throughout 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 entirely on their own in the wild. That’s the goal every time.” 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 ahead of their release. These tags collect information about the reptiles’ behavior, habitat use, and survivorship. This data can help craft sea turtle conservation and protection efforts. During the 2025 cold-stunning season, the New England Aquarium treated almost 500 live sea turtles. Most of the patients were Kemp’s ridleys, rescued around Cape Cod from November to December by staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. As of this week, the Aquarium has released 35 turtles off Cape Cod this summer. Several turtles are continuing treatment until they are medically cleared to return home. Some of the turtles will be added to the Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Tracker, so turtle enthusiasts can follow along as they make their way through the Atlantic. 2026 Popular Science Home of the Future Awards 39 products that will improve your everyday life.