Rare Turtles Dying Due To Strong Winds
Three marine turtles have been found stranded along the UK’s coastlines in recent days following strong winds.
Further strong south-westerly winds have been forecast for Scotland, Wales and the South West of England this week meaning we may not have heard the end of this incredibly upsetting story.
The strandings started when a juvenile loggerhead turtle washed up dead off the Scottish coast on the 29th December. Shortly afterwards, the second turtle, another dead juvenile loggerhead, was recovered on New Year’s Day.
The third turtle was a rare Kemp’s ridley turtle, this time in Wales. The small juvenile turtle was recovered by the RSPCA but died a few days later.
“Each winter strong winds seem to blow stray juvenile turtles into our chilly seas. They can’t stand the cold weather, which shuts them down and they eventually wash up on our shores,” said Peter Richardson, MCS Species Policy Officer.
“When they wash up they are so moribund that to the casual observer they may appear to be dead, but actually they may still be alive, and with expert care can be rescued and nurtured back to health to make a full recovery. Under no circumstances should these turtles be put back into the sea, as this will certainly kill them. With strong winds forecast this week we urge UK beach walkers to be vigilant and immediately report any turtles they encounter to the RSPCA.”
While the endangered loggerhead turtle is regularly reported in British seas, the Kemp’s ridley strandings are of particular interest as there are only 35 records of this species in UK and Irish waters. The Kemp’s ridley is the world’s rarest species of marine turtle, and is considered to be critically endangered.
Latest estimates suggest that only a few thousand adult females nest on just the one stretch of beach on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, although the population now appears to be increasing as a result of long-term conservation efforts by the US and Mexican governments.
One thinks of strong winds as being more usually a danger to land species. This story again highlights what a far-reaching impact extreme weather can have.
Sources:
Marine Conservation Society (MCS)
Image courtesy of MCS
