Wildlife UK Forum - Discuss the UK countryside and wildlife

A rare sea turtle, a 20cm loggerhead turtle, has been given a temporary home at an aquarium in Newquay after it become the second of its species to be washed up on the coast near there in a week. The aqurium are going to try their best to see it is released into the wild which is a good thing, but it is rare for one let alone two to be ashed up in such a short time.

The story is at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7227151.stm

It is quite amazing to think that these were probably born in America and somehow or other ended up in the UK!

That's great news they are both ok. Makes you wonder how many more are in the area?


Chris.

According to the article when they get into cooler waters they get so cold they sort of "shut down" and wash up on the beach. Hopefully that means that any that do come up here are washed up and so there aren't that many around. It could just be that there are loads moving slowly north though, so perhaps there are many!

I believe Loggerheads have always turned up on our beaches but they tend to be juveniles who have strayed into our cooler waters.

Below is a map I managed to find showing where they have been recorded in the past.

[attachment=335]

David

Thanks for the map, it's very interesting to see where they've been. How one got round to the East side half way up I don't know!