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A dog walker was startled this morning to find that an endangered species of turtle had washed up in St. Ouen's Bay after recent stormy weather.
The turtle - a loggerhead, which is the type most commonly found in the Mediterranean - was found in the area of L'Etacq, not moving.
The local branch of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were notified, and leader Donna Gicquel de Gruchy arrived shortly after to inspect the creature.
As BDMLR explained in a social media post, sometimes turtles can go into cold water shock in Jersey's waters and may appear lifeless.
The sea creature was shortly after taken to the New Era Veterinary Hospital to confirm whether it was alive. However, vets sadly confirmed that the animal was already deceased.
The unusual visitor to the island's shores will be recorded with local and UK biodiversity centres, and the BDLMR are notifying other environmental departments to see if any further action needs to be taken.
Donna said: "The arrival of this endangered species into our waters is probably due to the recent stormy seas. Juvenile (hard shell) turtles can sometimes be taken from their warmer water locations via the currents and end up in our much colder waters, where they find it much harder to survive."
She noted that "it is unlikely a loggerhead turtle could feed in waters under 20 degrees and will become very sluggish very quickly", adding: "The colder it gets the more comatose it gets and they end up washing up very poorly if not already deceased and with empty bellies.
"This is more than likely what happened to this poor little one."
It was the second tragic encounter in the space of a few days for Donna and the BDMLR team.
On Sunday, a grey juvenile seal pup, which looked "very underweight for his approximate age" was found in a cliff area and reported to BDMLR.
"We went for a closer look and health assessment thinking at most we may spend the day guarding the beach from disturbance and just monitor his behaviour. However, on closer inspection it was apparent that he was really suffering with a nasty respiratory infection and struggling to breathe. He also had multiple wounds from being bashed around the rocks in recent storms," BDMLR reported.
"We gained permission from the New Era Veterinary Hospital to bring him into them. We then secured him in our special seal bag and started the climb back up the cliff with him. So sad to say he passed away this afternoon at the vet surgery.
"He really did not sound great at all so we are not surprised and although we know he won't be out there suffering its always sad when we lose one.
"Grey seal pups really do get a hard time trying to survive, he would have been one of this autumn's newborns."
Islanders who spot any sea creatures in distress on local shores can contact BDMLR through their Facebook page or get in contact with the JSPCA.
According to the World Wildlife Foundation, loggerhead turtles are classified as 'vulnerable', and each creature tends to weigh 175 to 400 pounds.
The WWF's website adds: "Loggerhead turtles are named for their large heads that support powerful jaw muscles, allowing them to crush hard-shelled prey like clams and sea urchins. They are less likely to be hunted for their meat or shell compared to other sea turtles. Bycatch, the accidental capture of marine animals in fishing gear, is a serious problem for loggerhead turtles because they frequently come in contact with fisheries.
"Loggerheads are the most common turtle in the Mediterranean, nesting on beaches from Greece and Turkey to Israel and Libya. Many of their nesting beaches are under threat from tourism development. Sea turtles are the living representatives of a group of reptiles that has existed on Earth and travelled our seas for the last 100 million years. They are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems and help maintain the health of coral reefs and sea grass beds."
Pictured top: The turtle found at L'Etacq this morning. (BDLMR Channel Islands)
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