The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Stray turtle ‘Kerry’ sets off to catch a current home
January 1996
THE STRAY loggerhead turtle washed up on Glenbeigh Strand last February has been flown to the Azores to catch a warm ocean current home to the sunny Caribbean.
Named ‘Kerry’ by her carers, the turtle weighed 23 pounds when she was found on the shore. She was in an emaciated condition and had an injured flipper.
Kerry Society for the Protection of Animals inspector Harry McDaid and his wife Ann drove from Tralee to Glenbeigh at midnight on February 17 to rescue the dying animal and brought her to the animal shelter in Tralee.
The turtle which was later named Kerry was brought to Dingle the following day and spent a couple of days in the bath tub of local Dept of the Marine officer, Kevin Flannery, while arrangements were being made for Aer Lingus to fly her to the Exploris aquarium in county Down.
Exploris Education Officer Helena Challinor said Kerry had been suffering from hypothermia when she arrived there.
“She was not moving, not breathing, and she only had the had the faintest eye reflex. We sat up with her all night and at about 4 am she took her first breath,” she said.
“She recovered quickly, though because after only two days, we found her swimming up and down in her tank,” she said.
Loggerhead turtles, classed as reptiles, need to have a body temperature of 23 degrees celsius before eating because tthey are accustomed to the warm-water habitat of their native Caribbean.
Turtles found off the coast of Ireland have generally drifted off course by following warm currents and get into difficulties when they reach colder waters or are blown off course by storms.
Kerry made remarkable progress in, Exploris, gaining nine kilograms in the 11 months she was there. At the weekend, Exploris Technical Manager Keith Todd accompanied her on flights from Belfast to Heathrow, then to Lisbon and on to the Azores, where she was released into the Canaries Current off the Faial Island. This will bring her back to the Caribbean.