Loggerhead turtle washed up at Doughmore beach

[jw]

Little Migrant' is out of his depth



A MAROONED hard-shelled turtle is being nursed back to full health after being washed up on beach in the west of Ireland.

Christened 'Imirceach' or 'Little Migrant', the juvenile loggerhead turtle was discovered on Doughmore beach in Co Clare.

The turtle was found facing the Doonbeg golf club yesterday afternoon in a comatose state suffering from hypothermia.

Cathy Blake was one of three employees of Doonbeg Golf Club who were carrying out coastal erosion works at the beach when they discovered the turtle.

"It was my colleague, Eoin Fitzgerald, who first saw it. We didn't know if it was dead or alive. We touched it around the neck and its head did move," she said.

The three immediately alerted the project manager of the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation Dr Simon Berrow.

He transferred the turtle to Lahinch Seaworld where it was placed in quarantine. "It perked up almost straight away and was moving its flippers," he said.

The loggerhead's natural habitat is warmer waters and below 10 degrees celsius they go into a comatose state. Dr Berrow estimated that it will take a number of months for 'Imirceach' to get back to health.

Dr Berrow said that he believes that the turtle is a juvenile male. Turtles can live for over 50 years.

He speculated that the turtle got lost from its feeding routes around Cape Verde off the western coast of Africa and drifted to waters off Ireland.

Loggerhead turtles are an endangered species and Dr Berrow described the saving of 'Imirceach' as a good day for conservation.

"They are ancient and have not really changed over 100 million years and have lived through several mass extinction events," said Dr Berrow.

- Gordon Deegan

Irish Independent

[twinkle]

thats a long way to drift off course i expect to see more exotic sea life getting washed up on our shores but i dont think it has anything to do with getting lost maybe there is a great white on the way arnt they parcial to the odd turtle? must go out and buy a good harness i dont think it will be long before someone gets one here

[corbyeire]

its a big beach, pure fluke they saw him

probably storms at sea putting him off his trail

definitely not changing currents, water temp, salinity, acidity, food source etc.

[spindlefist]

I reckon he heard the craic was mighty in Ireland and just fancied a gander for himself..

[eric]

i'd say he got lost. but more importantly, the picture reveals an insight into a turtle's mind. he's probably wondering why some strange yokes picked him up while he was busy having a rest after all that swimming. why people are touching and fondling him with massive grins on their faces and how the **** is he gonna get out of here.

[nicefish]

Glad he ok ,he was in a comatose state so was the rest of the country after the budget.

[Al]

Thats pretty cool

They sometimes see Leatherback turtles off of Cape Clear island in Cork when dolphin and whale watching, found this vey small piece too. I saw more details somewhere else but i'm going for a pint so this will have to do

http://www.mamut.net/anoigecapeclear/newsdet70.htm