Rare sea turtle 'sniffed out' by dog on Anglesey beach

At around 1.30pm on December 13, staff at Anglesey Sea Zoo received a call from a member of the public who was walking their dog on Traeth Llydan beach in Rhosneigr on Anglesey.

Their dog ‘Meg’ had sniffed out a small turtle amongst the seaweed on the strandline and they realised that it was still alive.

The juvenile Kemps Ridley turtle was immediately transferred it here to the Anglesey Sea Zoo for specialist intensive care.

‘Meg’ the 4-year-old dog who found the turtle (Image: Anglesey Sea Zoo / Submitted)
Cold stranded turtles can die during the process of being revived and the first 48 hours of care is absolutely critical, so the team at the Sea Zoo have been initially focussing on ensuring that the new patient gets the best possible immediate care.

Frankie Hobro, Director and Owner of the Anglesey Sea Zoo, said: "It looks extremely promising that this little turtle could make a full recovery, but it is still too early to be certain.

"Upon receiving the call-out the sea zoo immediately reassembled the purpose-built incubator which has previously enabled the successful revival of three other cold-stranded turtles.

The turtle under initial assessment (Image: Anglesey Sea Zoo / Submitted)
"When the turtle was brought in it immediately received specialist medical care from local Vet Celyn Marshall from Bennett Williams Veterinary practise in Gaerwen, Anglesey. Upon initial examination, the little turtle was extremely dehydrated and has suffered some severe knocks and damage, suggesting that it has been quite badly battered and pummelled around during its recent travels, but it showed signs of being strong and is so far responding well to treatment.

"The little turtle has been named ‘Rhossi’ after the beautiful and popular location of Rhosneigr on Anglesey where it washed up.

"As it is a juvenile it is much too young to be able to determine its sex."

The sea zoo have confirmed the turtle is a Kemps Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii), the world’s rarest species of turtle and it is critically endangered, protected under the Convention on International.

Initial examination by vet Celyn Marshall (Image: Anglesey Sea Zoo / Submitted)
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulations. In the 1980s the species was reduced to just a few hundred nesting females at only one site, Rancho Nuevo in Mexico. Since then, thanks to years of ground-breaking work, a second nesting site has been established in Texas.

Despite these ongoing conservation efforts there are still only around 8,000 breeding females in the world today, making every individual extremely precious. Any Kemp’s Ridley that can be rescued and returned to the wild is a major victory, providing much-needed genetic diversity for a species which is at risk of extinction.

This is the second Kemps Ridley turtle to be rescued by the Anglesey Sea Zoo.

'Tally' the turtle was found washed up on Talacre Beach in November 2021.

She spent 20 months in recovery at Anglesey Sea Zoo before flying her to Texas in August for re-release into the wild.

‘Rhossi’ is currently undergoing initial critical care and careful rehabilitation with two hourly checks through the day and night, involving gradual rehydration and raising of its ambient temperature over time.

Although it is currently responding well to treatment, the turtle is in a serious condition from its ordeal and may not survive.

The purpose-built incubator set up ready for the turtle to start critical care (Image: Anglesey Sea Zoo / Submitted)
Its progress over the next few days should give an indication of its long-term prospects.

Anglesey Sea Zoo are recognised as experts in UK stranded tropical turtle rehabilitation following the successful rehabilitation of ‘Menai’ the Olive Ridley turtle who washed up in November 2016 after stranding at the bottom of the drive in the Menai Strait, ‘Tally’ the Kemps Ridley in November 2021 who was re-released in Texas and ‘Tonni’ the little loggerhead who washed up in January this year and is awaiting imminent return to the Canary Islands for release.

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Tropical turtles such as the Olive Ridley and Kemps Ridley are more commonly found in temperatures of 25-30C.

This juvenile turtle will have lost its way whilst journeying through warmer seas further south in the Atlantic, probably due to the strong winds experienced last weekend, as sea turtles are known to travel vast distances.

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The cold and windy weather in UK is unsustainable for such species of turtles to survive.

Ms Hobro added: “We are extremely excited to have a second Kemps Ridley turtle wash up alive on a local beach, and very grateful to Meg for finding it. All four of our rescued turtles were discovered by dogs being walked on the beach and we are urging dog walkers to please keep an eye out for stranded tropical turtles, particularly during the winter months, on the strandline amongst seaweed.

"These turtles are often extremely difficult to spot – but dogs will sniff them out. And although they may appear dead they can often be revived with the correct, immediate specialist care.

"As a critically endangered species every individual Kemps Ridley turtle is precious.

"We hope Rhossi will recover and will eventually be flown back to Texas as ‘Tally’ was, and re-released back into the wild in the Gulf of Mexico to contribute to the ongoing survival of its species.”