Winter storms have led to a rise in the number of turtles being washed up on British beaches.
A total of 16 warm-water turtles - some critically endangered - have been found on the UK shoreline since December, the highest total since 2008 according to environmental groups.
The comatose turtles washed up are juveniles, less able to cope with strong waves, and they are usually starving and suffering from hypothermia.
Sixteen warm-water turtles - some critically endangered - have been found on the UK shoreline since December. This loggerhead turtle was found on the shore at Langton Matravers in Dorset last month. The turtles washed up are juveniles, less able to cope with strong waves and are usually starving
Storms Desmond, Eva and Frank blowing in from the South Atlantic are behind the increase, according to experts.
Dr Peter Richardson, a spokesman for the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), said the numbers of strandings was three times higher than the five or six washed up in an average December.
Juvenile turtles hatch off the coast of the US or Caribbean islands and normally enjoy waters of 21°C (70°F) in the mid-Atlantic.
Naturalists refer to this period as their ‘lost years’ as little is known about their behaviour and they literally go with the flow of the water.
Dr Richardson said: ‘They are small and relatively weak and get blown wherever the current takes them.’
But strong winds blowing into the chilly waters off our coasts has a devastating effect as the turtles stop feeding at temperatures at 15°C (59°F) or below and shut down at 10°C (50°F).
The MCS expert added: ‘Most are dead when they are washed up, but if we are lucky and they are alive, they can be rescued. We are asking the public to be vigilant and report any turtles they see, even if they appear dead.’
On December 23, a live loggerhead turtle found near Worth Matravers in Dorset had to be put to sleep because of its injuries.
Since then, three critically-endangered Kemp’s Ridley Turtles have been found dead by beach walkers at West Bay, West Bexington and Kimmeridge in Dorset.
Any turtles that are revived are flown to the Canary Islands, where they are rehabilitated at a special centre and released.
Juvenile turtles hatch off the coast of the US or Caribbean islands and normally enjoy waters of 21°C (70°F) in the mid-Atlantic. But strong winds blowing into the chilly waters off our coasts has a devastating effect as the turtles stop feeding. This loggerhead turtle was stranded at Kennack Sands in Cornwall on 27 December
Experts blame the same storms that brought havoc to homeowners in the UK (pictured) for the increase. In particular, storms Desmond, Eva and Frank have been blowing the turtles from the South Atlantic
Four turtles have been washed up in the UK already this year, including a small young loggerhead at Gwythian, Cornwall, on 6 January.
The turtle is being cared for at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay, where staff have worked hard to save his life.
General manager Steve Matchett told the BBC: ‘He’s still going, which is a bit of a surprise for us all because he was so weak.
‘We are warming him up slowly and he is taking on larger amounts of fluid.
‘If he continues to gain strength we will start feeding him squid through a tube.
‘What we don’t know is if there is any long-term internal damage such as organ failure, so it’s pretty touch and go.’
People are not advised to throw the turtles back in the water but report them to a vet or aquarium or consult the guidelines on the MCS website.
People are not advised to throw the turtles back in the water but report them to a vet or aquarium or consult the guidelines on the MCS website (the society's sightings map is pictured)
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