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SDWF recovers stranded Loggerhead Turtle from Doonbeg beach
An immature loggerhead turtle was found alive on Doughmore beach, Doonbeg, Co Clare last night and has been recovered for rehabilitation at Lahinch Acquarium.
The turtle was found by staff from Doonbeg Golf Club who informed the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation/Irish Whale and Dolphin Group based in nearby Kilrush. Neil Brown and Cathy Blake were still on the beach when Simon Berrow and Joanne O’Brien of the SDWF visited the beach and determined it to be a male loggerhead turtle with a carapace length of 50cm. This is quite large for a stranded loggerhead and although comatosed thought it had a good chance of survival. They arranged for the turtle to be recovered to Lahinch Aquarium to attempt a rehabilitation.
Loggerhead turtles are occasionally washed up along the west coast of Ireland as well as other hard-shelled turtles such as Kemp’s Ridley and even the very rare Green Turtle. A recent review by Gabriel King and Simon Berrow recently documented 49 definite records of this species in Irish waters between 1971 and 2005, of which 33 were stranded individuals.
Aquariums around Ireland have good experience and a high success rate in rehabilitating these turtles and as many turtle populations are depleted or under threat rehabilitating and transporting healthy turtles to warmer waters before release is a good conservation action.
Lahinch Aquarium successfully rehabilitated a smaller loggerhead turtle in 2000 which had been washed up in nearby Seafield Beach. This turtle was flown to Portugal before being released into the sea.
The turtle, if it survives, is likely to be kept at the aquarium for many months gaining weight and fitness before being released back into the sea.
We would like to thank Neil Brown, Cathy Blake and Sebastian Scholze of Doonebeg Golf Club and Lisa Hammond for informing us of the turtle straight away and Tim Ford and staff at Lahinch Aquarium for immediately providing rehabilitation facilities at short notice.
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