Marine Turtles in
Shetland Waters
Five of the
world's seven species of sea turtles have occurred in British waters and three
of these have been recorded around the coast of Shetland.
Turtle
populations worldwide are declining and it is important to protect those that
come into British waters and to learn more about their movements at sea by
recording sightings of each species. All sea turtles are fully protected in
British waters, which means that turtles may not be deliberately killed, and
live turtles may not be landed unless for the purposes of tending them for
subsequent release. Dead turtles or shells may also not be possessed unless
the animals died accidentally and should not be displayed for commercial
purposes or sold.
If you
are lucky enough to see a turtle, record its colour, shape and shell pattern,
and compare them with the illustrations below. Details of any turtle sightings
in Shetland waters may be
e-mailed or sent to
Scottish Natural Heritage, Stuart Buildings, Lerwick, Shetland (01950) 693345.
Researchers of turtle biology sometimes attach a tag to a turtle's flipper
when it is on its breeding beach, and if seen the details of the tag should
also be noted. All information on turtles in Shetland waters is passed to the
Natural History Museum who co-ordinate sightings of these reptiles throughout Britain.
Photos:
Leathery Turtles at Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary in November 2000 and Skeld in
1973
What to do if you find
a stranded or injured turtle
Occasionally, turtles may become entangled in fishing gear and may suffer
shock, which can kill them. You can help by taking appropriate action: When
turtles become entangled in fishing gear offshore, it will take patience and
time to release them. It is best done at the surface of the water so that the
effective weight is less. If the turtle is caught in a trawl or drift net, do
not lift it out of the water on to the deck if it appears to be active and
alert, as it may suffer respiratory collapse or cardiac arrest. Never tow a
turtle to harbour if this can be avoided. Always ensure that all net and line
has been removed from the turtle before releasing it.
Turtles
have powerful flippers and care should be taken when handling them to avoid
personal injury. If hopelessly fouled in a crab or lobster line, carry out the
release on the edge of the shore, but not on dry land. Leathery Turtles can be
very heavy and pulling them over land can cause lacerations.
Turtles found
stranded on beaches are sometimes already dead, but may be injured. Look for
wounds such as those made by boat propellers or sharks. Young turtles in
particular may be exhausted, disorientated or shocked by low water
temperatures such as those found around Shetland. If you find a turtle in this
condition contact Scottish Natural Heritage (or English Nature
if you are in England), who will be able to advise or arrange suitable rehabilitation.
Leathery Turtle Dermochelys coriacea
There are nine Shetland
records involving live animals:
- 1955 off Noss Head,
30th August
- 1956 c.60km
NE
of Muckle Flugga, September
- 1967 off Papa Stour,
28th August
- 1973 off Skeld, 4th
October
- 1990 from a fishing
boat, north of Fetlar, 20th October
- 1992 c.30km NNW of
Muckle Flugga, early September
- 1992 off Balta, Unst,
5th October
- 1995 from the Faeroese
fishing boat Lomúr, NW of Yell, at 60o56'N 1o26'W, 9th October
- 1999
off the southern end of
Bressay, between the Ord and the Bard, 8th August
- 2000 Basta Voe,
11th November, caught in nets and taken to Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, where it subsequently died
In
addition, a turtle that was thought to be this species (and possibly the 1999
Bressay individual above) was seen in Bluemull Sound, between Yell and Unst,
by the crew of the Fetlar ferry on the 8th September 1999. Shoreline carapaces
(the turtle's shell) are also occasionally recorded. Martin Heubeck, who
organises Shetland's beached bird surveys, recalls finding one at Sumburgh in
the 1980s. In 1996 a carapace was found, on a beach just west of Punds Voe,
Scalloway on the 12th October. The shell measured 110cm by 96cm. Another was
found dead at Dale beach at Walls in January 2002. It was decomposed and has
probably been there some time. It measured 2m from nose to tail, it was 2.5m
across the flippers and it weighted approximately 4-5cwt.
Identification: Leathery Turtles are essentially blackish in colour,
spotted with white, can grow up to 2m in length (almost 7 feet) and have
obvious ridges running the length of the shell from the head to the tail. Leathery
Turtles are the species most frequently seen in British waters, usually during
the late summer. When seen swimming on the surface of the sea they have been
likened to a floating Volkswagen Beetle car!
photo - the 1999
Leathery Turtle off Bressay - John Tulloch
Loggerhead Turtle
Caretta caretta
There is
just one Shetland record:
-
1945 off the west side of Unst, June
Identification: Loggerhead Turtles are reddish-brown in colour, can grow
up to 1.5m in length (about 4.5 feet) and have just a single,
ill-defined ridge running along the centre of the shell from the head to the
tail. Most
records of this species are during the winter months. The majority of these
are thought to probably originate from North and Central American coasts.
photo
- Loggerhead Turtle at sea
Green Turtle
Chelonia mydas
There is just
one Shetland record, involving tideline remains:
- 1956 fragments of
carapace found on beach, Burra, 4th January
Identification:
Green Turtles are greenish in colour and are one of the smallest of the marine
turtles. They are very rare vagrants outside tropical or sub-tropical waters and there are only
five British records in total, only one of which was alive.
photo - captive Green
Turtle
Nature in Shetland
