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THE Loggerhead sea turtle that washed ashore during Storm Lorenzo is back safe and sound again in the Canary Islands and is destined for warmer waters.

The hard-shelled turtle named ‘Mara’ was found in Roundstone, County Galway in September, dehydrated and suffering from hypothermia. A spell of recuperation followed at Dingle Oceanworld and – thanks to her minders, Marie Foley of Dingle Oceanworld and Marine biologist Louise Overy from Dingle – Mara now weighs a healthy three kilos.

Loggerhead sea turtles are an endangered species that survive in warm waters, with a preference for salt water and estuarine habitats. In recent years environmental factors and a rise in predators has threatened their numbers, which is why it was important to restore Mara to full health ahead of her fourhour flight from Cork Airport to Las Palmas on Monday.

Marine biologist at Dingle Oceanworld Kevin Flannery has studied and cared for Loggerhead turtles for over 40 years.

Smaller and injured turtles get pushed towards Irish waters during storms and mostly die of hypothermia unless they’re rescued.

Kevin said that in recent years plastic has caused huge fatalities among Loggerheads as their diet consists mainly of jelly fish, which they find indistinguishable from plastic.

“They eat jelly fish and can’t tell the difference between plastic in the water. This is very serious as it’s killing them off. Autopsies on dead turtles will invariably show traces of up to 40 or 50 pieces of Kevin said.

Loggerhead turtles are reptiles, and their internal temperatures need be around 23 degrees. The woman in Galway who found the turtle brought it to the vets, who in turn contacted Dingle Oceanworld.

“We fed her and brought her back to life; she put on great weight,” Kevin added.

In the days before Dingle Oceanworld, Kevin explained how he kept injured Loggerheads in the bath at home to get them heated up before they were taken south by the Royal Navy Service.

“Marie, Louise and the vet, Sean O’Sullivan, took her on the flight. This is part of what we do as we have the expertise now. It’s fantastic to do this for an animal as they are under severe threat,” he said. plastic,”

Photo by Domnick Walsh A Loggerhead sea turtle is all set for its 6am flight to the sun on Monday from Cork Airport, with her passport in order . The turtle arrived in Dingle Oceanworld aquarium in a bad way several weeks ago. Marie Foley of Dingle Oceanworld and Marine biologist Louise Overy from Dingle Oceanworld aquarium give the loggerhead a medical check up before her flight .