Wildlife specialists are calling on the public to report any sightings of loggerhead turtles after one was recently spotted off the coast of South West England.
According to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT), volunteers from its Seaquest project — a marine wildlife monitoring initiative — observed the turtle swimming near St Ives on Sunday.
Loggerhead turtles are considered vulnerable by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and CWT noted that sea temperatures around the region are typically too cold for them at this time of year.
Rebecca Allen, a marine conservation officer with the trust, urged anyone who encounters one of these turtles to contact British Divers Marine Life Rescue so experts can step in to help.
“We often see a few juvenile loggerheads washing up during winter in a weakened state,” Allen explained. “Sometimes they appear lifeless because they slip into a torpor-like state.”
She added that with quick action, many of these turtles can be rescued and nursed back to health.
“It’s believed that strong ocean currents, especially after storms, can carry them too far north,” Allen said.