17 Loggerhead Turtles Strand Since January

20/03/2008 14:45:42 Two Turtles Being Rehabituated
Joana Doyle, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust said, ‘It is unusual that we have had so many loggerhead turtle strandings around Cornwall and other parts of the UK in the last few months. Many of the turtles reported were already dead however two were still alive and are currently being rehabilitated for future release at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay’.

The latest dead turtle was found on Wanson beach, near Widemouth Bay, North Cornwall. North Cornwall District Council beach rangers and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Marine Strandings Network were alerted. The turtle was stored overnight in a strandings volunteer’s shed and was delivered to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in Truro this morning for post-mortem examination.

Rehabilitating Stranded Turtles
Eleven out of nineteen live-stranded turtles rescued from UK and Irish beaches in the last decade have been successfully rehabilitated and released back into warmer seas abroad.

It is very important that the public realise that a turtle may appear to be dead when it is not. Joana continued, ‘Due to the cold water temperatures the turtle’s metabolism slows right down and they may not move at all, so people may think they are dead. The most important thing to do is to report a stranded turtle as soon as possible and never try to return it to the sea, as this will result in it dying.’

Loggerhead Turtles
Loggerhead turtles are found in temperate and subtropical coastal waters worldwide. They nest at a few sites in the Mediterranean, and along the coasts of Oman, South Africa, Australia and south east America. The loggerhead is listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).

Strandings Hotline
Please report any live turtle strandings to the RSPCA on 08705 55999 and dead turtles or other dead marine wildlife strandings to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Hotline on 0845 201 2626.

To contact the Trust, call 01872 273939.