A turtle that was not expected “to make the night” due to malnourishment and dehydration has been released into the wild after she was found washed up on a beach in Scotland.
Iona, named after the island where she was discovered, was found in 10C (50F) water in January 2022, much cooler than the temperate waters sea turtles tend to seek.
Spotted by a passer-by, she was taken to the Sea Life Aquarium in Loch Lomond with dehydration as well as being cold-stunned – a form of hypothermia when exposed to an abrupt fall in temperature.
Robin Hunter, who was part of Iona’s care team described her as being in a bad state when she was admitted.
“When she first arrived, she wasn’t in great condition, and she was very dehydrated, very malnourished… we really didn’t expect her to make the night.”
It was his first time rehabilitating a turtle, which was recorded as the smallest live stranded loggerhead species in the UK.
Iona was recorded as the smallest live stranded loggerhead species in the UK.
The journey was a long one for Iona
Specialists raised Iona’s temperature and weight to healthy levels
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He added: “It was obviously not the best experience that you’d want for the turtle, but to be part of something like that is pretty spectacular. You really feel like you’re making a difference.”
Mr Hunter described how the care team slowly managed to increase her temperature and weight to healthy levels.
Speaking about Iona’s recovery, he said: “It was remarkable. It was like a totally different turtle.”
Iona was relocated to Sea Life in Scarborough last May for further treatment before making the near 1,700-mile trip to the Azores in Portugal, where she was released this month.
Iona’s extensive journey
Mr Hunter said: “To be able to see her now go and live the way she’s supposed to be living, that is a phenomenal feeling.
“There’s a small percentage of worry because you never know. It’s the wild at the end of the day, but she is a fighter.”
‘Surreal’ release back into wild
Iona’s release into the Atlantic Ocean touched those who cared for her, including Todd German, animal care curator at Sea Life Scarborough.
Preparing to release the loggerhead turtle
Iona in the Atlantic Ocean after release
Mr German said: “It’s quite surreal because she’s been with us for a long time.
“It was really strange in the fact that that was the end of my part in her journey and it was a really lovely feeling to see her go off into the big blue.”
He said that sea turtles around the world were “facing challenges” posed by humans namely climate change.
Before being released, the loggerhead turtle was fitted with a satellite tag to allow researchers to monitor her behaviour in the wild after a year of rehabilitation.
One researcher, Mafalda Sousa, said Iona could even migrate as far as North America since “when loggerheads reach sexual maturity, they move to nesting beaches” – areas where female turtles come ashore to lay eggs.
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