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Rare Turtle's Epic 1,500-Mile Journey Home
9 Jul
Summary
- A loggerhead turtle named Crush, rescued from hypothermia, is set for release.
- Crush will travel 1,500 miles to the Azores for warmer waters.
- The vulnerable species faces low survival rates from hatchling to adulthood.
A loggerhead turtle, known as Crush, is nearing her release back into the wild after a harrowing rescue and recovery period. Initially found stranded and lifeless on a beach in Jersey after Storm Goretti, Crush was suffering from severe malnutrition and hypothermia. She was flown to Southampton, England, and transferred to a Sea Life centre in Weymouth for specialized care.
After months of rehabilitation and monitoring, Crush has been given the all-clear for her return to warmer waters. Her next journey involves a 1,500-mile flight to the Azores. Specialists will accompany her to ensure her well-being during the extensive travel. A period in a specialized facility in the Azores will precede her release into the ocean off the coast.
Loggerhead turtles, classified as 'vulnerable', face immense challenges, with only about one in a thousand hatchlings surviving to adulthood. Crush was found cold-stunned, a condition akin to hypothermia, which causes a turtle's body to shut down. The species is typically found in subtropical waters off North Africa, suggesting storms and currents carried Crush north.
