The Royal Navy has returned six rare loggerhead turtles to warm Atlantic waters, restored to health after being washed up in a “cold-shocked” condition on UK shores some 20 months ago.
Crew of the patrol ship HMS Medway released them off the Azores while on her way from Plymouth to the Caribbean to support international counter-drug smuggling operations and assisting hurricane-struck island communities.
In the early months of 2023, Divernet had reported on a flood of cold-shocked turtles stranding in the UK. This was when the half-dozen juveniles had been swept from the Caribbean or US east coast by strong winds and Atlantic currents. They would have died had they not been washed up and rescued.
Five came ashore in Cornwall and Devon and were cared for by staff at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium, while the sixth was restored to health by Anglesey Sea Zoo after being found on an island beach.
“All the turtles arrived in a weakened state – in many cases we were unsure if they were going to make it overnight,” said Blue Reef Aquarium’s group curator Steve Matchett.
“All were dehydrated and emaciated. This is due to being too cold for a long period and being unable to feed/function properly. They have all prospered once we got them past the initial stages.”
Underway
When it came time to repatriate the turtles – named Jason, Gordon, Perran, Hayle, Holly and Tonni – the Royal Navy offered its assistance and loaded them onboard Medway in crates alongside its regular cargo of food supplies, machinery spare parts and disaster-relief kits.
The turtles did not require feeding while on board, only for their containers to be kept clean and water temperature maintained above 20°C. One of two sailors who volunteered as temporary turtle-keepers, Engineering Technician Ryan Brooks, described them as “surprisingly low maintenance”.
“All we really have to do is make sure their cages are clean and the turtles themselves are happy, cosy and moist – that they don’t dry out or suffer sore spots – so that basically means checking in on them twice a day,” he said.
Back at sea
Medway’s crew gathered on the flight-deck to watch the turtles being returned to the sea off the Azores. “As professional mariners, many of us are keen to do what we can to reduce the loss of biodiversity at sea,” said RN senior maritime environmental protection adviser Rod Jones.
“Encountering marine wildlife is one of the great joys of seafaring and if we can assist, even in a small way, to make that more likely in the future, we are pleased to be able to do that.”
“This is what we have been aiming for since day one,” said Frankie Hobro, owner of Anglesey Sea Zoo, when Tonni, the turtle it had treated, was collected. “We’re excited and a little bit emotional in a happy way.
“She’s in very, very safe hands as well. It’s wonderful to see how enthusiastic and excited the Navy crew are and how keen they are to look after these turtles – it’s lovely.”
Also on Divernet: Flood Of Cold-Shocked Turtles Strand In UK, Turtle Navigation ‘Relatively Crude’, Life Looks Up For Endangered Turtles, The Turtle That Holds Up The World, How Fake Eggs Could Boost Turtle Survival
