02-08-2025
Nature Trail: Sea turtles migrating farther north due to rising temperatures in North Atlantic Ocean
There are seven species of sea turtles in the world. The Leatherback Turtle is by far the biggest and is the only one with a soft, leathery back.
The remaining six species are smaller in size and have hard shells. These are the Loggerhead Turtle, Green Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle, Olive Ridley Turtle, Kemp's Ridley Turtle, and the Flatback Turtle.
Five Loggerhead Turtles were recently found on Irish beaches between Inch in Co Kerry and Belmullet in Co Mayo. They are currently being cared for at Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium in Co Kerry. The species is critically endangered so significant efforts are being made by the staff there to save these marine reptiles and to ensure they make a speedy recovery.
If you are at loggerheads with someone all it means is that you strongly disagree with them about something; it has nothing to do with turtles. Loggerhead Turtles get their name from their disproportionally large heads. They have exceptionally big heads to contain their powerful jaws and jaw muscles that they use to crush the shells of hard prey items like crabs, clams, and whelks.
Loggerhead Turtles have a worldwide distribution. They are the most common species of turtle found in the Mediterranean Sea, where they nest on beaches in Greece, Turkey, and Israel. They are also found around the Canary Islands. On the other side of the Atlantic they are common in Florida. Their young are known to undertake long-distance migrations and to be able to cross the ocean.
Scientists recorded a severe marine heatwave in the North Atlantic Ocean in the summer of 2023, with record-breaking sea surface temperatures, so it is believed that turtles are coming farther north due to global warming. Consequently, we are likely to see more strandings especially along the west coast.
The Green Turtle is a rarer species. One of them was washed up on a beach in Quilty, Co Clare last February. When it recovered from its ordeal Aer Lingus assisted in its transport to the Canary Islands.
If you find a stranded turtle the advice is not to try to return to the sea but to get it to a safe, warm place and to phone the emergency hotline at 097 28118 as soon as possible.
