A baby loggerhead turtle from the West Indies is being nursed back to health in Dingle Ocean World Sea Aquarium following its discovery on a beach at Waterville, Co Kerry.
Dylan, named for the Celtic sea god, was thought to be male, but turned out to be female. It is the sixth loggerhead to be nursed by the aquarium in recent years. Recently Mr Kevin Flannery, biologist with the Department of the Marine, asked the public to be on the watch for turtles washed up from warm waters because of storms and winds.
This turtle, measuring 20cm and weighing 2.5kg, was discovered by the O'Neill family from nearby Kells while they were walking on the beach at Waterville.
It will be many months before Dylan regains its strength, and then the aquarium will think of finding a way to take it to warmer waters in the Mediterranean, perhaps, or the tropical Caribbean.
The Naval Service, scheduled aircraft and yachts visiting Dingle have facilitated the return of other turtles to their native waters.
Like all sea turtles, loggerheads are an endangered species. They have suffered greatly from disturbance of their eggs, pollution of their habitats and being caught in nets.
Loggerheads are omnivores, eating vegetables and fish such as sponges, urchins and crabs. Plastic thrown into the sea is often mistaken for food and can kill turtles.