Of Storms and Turtles

I remember the excitement as a child when I had the chance to see a live Leatherback Turtle that had been washed up on the shore at Cadgwith Cove in Cornwall. Local fishermen did their best to rescue it, but I'm not sure that the outcome was successful. 

More recently in 2010, as faithful followers may remember, I was thrilled to see a Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) swimming a few metres from the shore near Pylos in the Peloponnese. Do take a moment to read this fine turtle poem, The Lost Egg of Caretta caretta, by Lynn Woollacott on the Poetry Society pages.

Sea turtle near Pylos, Greece, 2010

I blogged a few days ago about the dubious storm sighting of a Penguin (probably a Guillemot) on the shore at Polkerris in Cornwall. And now, it seems, that two dead turtles have recently been found in Sussex. The one at Splash Point, Worthing, appears to have been a Loggerhead and was discovered a few days before Christmas. You can read about it here on Steve Savage's blog. The more recent find (17 February) was a Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle, the world's rarest sea turtle species, and it was found at Saltdean. There are photos over at The Nature Quest blog and a short news report from The Argus here.

A second Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle was discovered on a beach I know well, Cefn Sidan Sands, near Llanelli in South Wales in mid-January 2014. These turtles from the Gulf of Mexico were close to extinction in the 1980s.

And if you encounter any marine turtles - alive or dead - on our UK beaches, do report them to the Marine Conservation Society.

Testudines (1): Sea Turtle Mystery, Caretta Caretta - in Greece

Turtle Priority

I was particularly thrilled to learn that there were breeding Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta) in our area of the south-western Peloponnese. I wondered if we would see any sign of these beautiful but endangered creatures.

Those of you who have followed my blogs may know by now that I always enjoy seeing unusual animal road signs (see below) - and although this sign referred to the beach and sand dunes, I have included it since it was in a car parking area!

Turtles allowed - and dogs on leads ...

The turtles lay their eggs in the sand dunes and then when the young hatch, they make their way down to the sea under cover of darkness. The adults certainly chose some beautiful beaches for their nurseries.

Surprisingly strong waves

I kept an eye open for any tell-tale signs, like shuffle marks in the sand. I stopped in my tracks for a moment when I saw the scaly object below ... but only for a moment!

False alarm!

Turtles have a number of predators. Sometimes they get caught up in fishing nets. You can read about 'Rafael' (here) and how he was rescued after a fishing net encounter. 

Fishing net may be fun for cats, but can endanger turtles

We kept a sharp eye out, but there were - apparently - no turtles to be seen. You can imagine my surprise when I arrived back in the UK and looked at the photo below. I can't be sure, but I think there may be something lurking in the water!

Archelon is a Greek-based organisation dedicated to the protection of Sea Turtles. The Peloponnese boasts about 900 turtle nests per year. Volunteers carry out patrols in key areas to ensure their protection. They try to raise public awareness through education initiatives such as slide shows. You can read more about these conservation measures here.

For a wonderful blog post on the Sea Turtle, do visit Vickie Henderson's Art blog here. 

A Couple of Unusual Animal Road Signs ...

• on the island of Raasay, Scotland (my Land&Lit blog)
• on the island of Eriskay, Outer Hebrides, Scotland (Donnie's Photo Hebrides blog)