The turtle drifted for 4,000 miles before washing up on a shore in Ireland
When a family in Ireland went out for a walk on the beach, they found a turtle washed up on the rocks. The baby turtle was close to dying and the family decided to act fast to find a place for the turtle to recover. Now, the turtle is doing well. According to experts, it is very likely the turtle will make a full recovery.
Long journey
The turtle had survived a really long and strenuous journey before washing up on the shores of Ireland. It was hurt, dehydrated, underweight and suffering from hypothermia. The baby turtle is a loggerhead turtle, a species that usually nests in the ocean around Florida and the Carolinas. After the turtles hatch, they move towards the ocean and swim in the water of the Gulf Stream. When they get big enough, they make their way to the Canary Islands. But unfortunately, the wind can blow the turtles in a different direction, causing them to get stuck on the coasts of the southeastern United States. But this baby turtle ended up all the way in Ireland.
Alive
Kevin Flannery, director of the Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium in Ireland, told The Washington Post that the turtles that wash up on the shores of Ireland, aren’t usually alive anymore. He said: “Very seldom are they alive because, at that stage, they’ve spent a month at sea being pounded … and not able to fend for themselves.” Because turtles are reptiles, they can not be in cold water for too long. And the northern oceans are way colder than the turtles are used to. The cold water can cause their body temperature to drop and that can cause cold shock. But this baby turtle survived against the odds.
Care
The family that found the turtle called several groups that work with whales and dolphins until they reached Flannery. He drove a total of twelve hours to get the turtle and has been taking care of it ever since. The turtle has already tripled it’s weight and it has been eating well. After the turtle is nursed back to health, Flannery will make sure it is taken to the Canary Islands.
The Irish family that found the baby turtle named it ‘Cróga’, the Irish word for ‘brave’
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Source: The Washington Post | Image: Unsplash, David Levêque