Photo: Suzanne Sausville/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A sea turtle ice sculpture was carved on Sunday in the New England Aquarium’s Central Wharf.
The piece was created by sculptor Don Chappelle, owner of Brilliant Ice Sculpture in North Andover and someone who has crafted numerous other animal ice statues, from whales, sharks and penguins to sea lions and octopi.
He and his team carved the 11-ton sculpture live for the public, putting it together from smaller parts.
“We’re bringing it in pieces, its modular, and we’ll stack them together, fuse them together and we’re good to go,” Chappelle said.
The full piece consisted of sea turtles, a seaweed wall, jellyfish, cod, haddock, and a woman releasing a sea turtle back into the wild.
The ice turtles were specifically modelled after the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle species and made in honor of the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital, which has helped save hundreds of these sea turtles off Cape Cod.
“The aquarium does a lot of rehabilitation of the ridley sea turtles that strand themselves in Wellfleet,” Chappelle said. “This is a tribute to the aquarium’s due-diligence in saving this species.”
Read More: New England Aquarium Cares for Hundreds of Sea Turtles found in Cape Cod
Chappelle also mention that the warmer weather they were sculpting in was not a concern for him and his team.
“We made everything a little bulkier as you can see, so it’ll melt into itself and we’re going to cover it up with dry ice and tarps, and that’ll keep it nice and cold.”
The sculpture was one of the many art pieces created for Boston Harbor’s Waterfront Ice Sculpture Stroll, which is taking place on New Year’s Eve.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Suzanne Sausville (@WBZSausville) reports.
