World Turtle Day
- Thursday 23rd May 2024
Did you know?
- There are seven species of sea turtle: Green, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Olive ridley, Kemp’s ridley, Galápagos and Flatback
- Turtles are part of the reptile family as they’re cold-blooded. They are one of the oldest reptile groups, dating back more than 200 million years, meaning they’ve been around since the time of dinosaurs!
- Some sea turtles live up to 80 years old, wow!
- Female sea turtles return to the same beaches where they were born to lay their eggs. This remarkable homing instinct helps ensure the survival of their species.
- Despite their resilience, sea turtles face numerous threats today, including habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and poaching. Conservation efforts are crucial to protecting these magnificent creatures for future generations
TURTLE RESCUE & REHABILITATION
SEA LIFE teams across the globe rescue and care for hundreds of injured and stranded turtles.
Many of these turtles fully recover and are released back to the wild, but others sadly need life-long care which many SEA LIFE aquariums can provide.
TURTLE RELEASE
A rehabilitated turtle travelled more than 2,000 miles to be released into the ocean!
The Loggerhead turtle, Iona, was first found washed up on a beach on the Scottish Island of Iona in January 2022. Iona was severely underweight and struggling to survive in 10ºC water.
Iona arrived at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond cold-stunned, malnourished and dehydrated. Iona was the smallest live-stranded Loggerhead turtle to be recorded in the UK.
The dedicated animal care team warmed her up very gradually and set about stabilising her while continuing ongoing assessment, before she was eventually relocated to SEA LIFE Scarborough on 16 May 2022 to receive further care and rehabilitation.
In October 2023, Iona made the journey to the Azores, Portugal where she was released into the ocean.
Find out all about Iona’s journey here:
TURTLE RESCUE
SEA LIFE Loch Lomond is home to a rescued Olive Ridley Turtle, April.
Unfortunately, April was injured in the ocean and found trapped in ghost netting and with a plastic bag around her neck. She sustained significant injuries.
April arrived at Loch Lomond in November 2021 after travelling more than 6,000 miles from the Maldives to make the aquarium her forever home.
Find out all about April's journey here:
ADOPT A TURTLE
By purchasing a turtle adoption pack, you not only bring a little piece of the ocean into your home, but also support our conservation efforts to protect marine habitats. Your adoption pack helps contribute to the care and welfare of our turtles as well as providing support for our SEA LIFE Trust conservation projects locally and around the world.
What’s included?
Your adoption pack includes:
- A voucher for free entry to your local SEA LIFE
- Turtle adoption certificate
- Turtle fact sheet and information
- Turtle sticker pack
- A mini turtle plush
- Your name displayed outside the animal enclosure
