A LOGGERHEAD turtle has been found washed up dead on Jersey’s east coast.
The juvenile was discovered on Archirondel beach by a member of the public on Thursday and taken to New Era vets by volunteers from the Jersey branch of British Divers Marine Life Rescue to check for signs of life.
In a statement, BDMLR said: “The sea temperature here is far to cold for a loggerhead to function, so when they are accidentally swept into our colder currents, they go on to become cold stunned. This makes them extremely lethargic and lifeless.
“The turtle was placed onto a wet towel and taken straight to New Era Veterinary Hospital for further investigation.
“The vet team were able to use an ultrasound to scan the heart for movement and a doppler to try and detect a heart beat and any flow. This process was repeated over a few hours but sadly no life was found in the turtle.”
Loggerhead turtles are found in the Mediterranean and warmer areas of the Atlantic, but can be carried to British shores on ocean currents.
BDMLR thanked New Era for the help and urged anyone who finds a stranded turtle to phone them, through the JSPCA, on 724331.
