Rare green sea turtle found freezing to death on Irish beach back home in the Canaries
Named Solstice by her rescuers, she was found with severe hypothermia, among other illnesses, washed up on a beach on Christmas Eve
A rare green sea turtle was found freezing to death on an Irish beach is settling into her new, warmer home in the Canaries.
Named Solstice by her rescuers, she's now back swimming in her natural habitat, according to Spanish media, who have welcomed her home.
On Christmas Eve of last year, Solstice was found with severe hypothermia, among other illnesses, washed up on a beach by a woman who runs a hedgehog sanctuary in Quilty, Co Clare.
She brought her to the team at Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium in Daingean Uí Chúis, who established that the turtle was suffering from pneumonia and meningitis, likely brought on by the shock of the cold Atlantic waters.
Solstice is back home
News in 90 Seconds - May 28th
Further inspection revealed bite marks on the turtle's shell, likely inflicted by a seal or shark.
The turtle was fed with prawns and squids and treated with antibiotics and after six months being cared for in the aquarium, she gained strength and around 2kg.
Speaking ahead of her release, Director of Dingle Oceanworld Kevin Flannery said Solstice was embarking on a journey with Aer Lingus to Gran Canaria, where a dedicated wildlife rescue team was ready to assist in returning her to the wild.
"We are not exactly sure where Solstice came from, but we assume it was the Gulf of Mexico," Mr Flannery said.
He said that the turtle would be tagged before its release.
"The American Marine Research Centre - Woods Hole, it's called - they have found an island off of the African coast, where these green turtles come ashore and lay their eggs. So it may be from there. We don't know but I'm hopeful it is, and that with the tag, we'll be able to see where it's going," said Mr Flannery.
The young turtle, which would normally swim in tropical or subtropical waters, was probably taken by northbound currents before being washed up almost dead in Co Clare, Pascual Calabuig, a vet and biologist from the fauna conservation centre in Gran Canaria, told Reuters.
Having been flown by Aer Lingus to Melenara Beach in Gran Canaria, where she was released, Solstice is now in an ideal ecosystem for this species, 'which lives in tropical and subtropical climates and requires vegetation very similar to that found at the bottom of warmer waters', according to experts.
Although classified as endangered, green sea turtles, who take their name from the colour of their fat, not the colour of their shell, are fairly common around the Canary archipelago.
They can live up to 90 years in the wild and grow up to five feet.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
10 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Stroke survivors offered hope of ‘tailored' rehab at home thanks to Irish research
Irish researchers are working on developing a lightweight, wearable sensor system which will give new hope to stroke survivors and allow them more personally tailored rehabilitation at home.
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Extra.ie
Kerry Condon: 'Champagne was all I knew about F1'
Banshees of Inisherin star Kerry Condon admits she knew little to nothing about Formula One before her lead role in the Brad Pitt F1 film. Condon stars alongside Pitt in the new blockbuster F1, opening in Irish cinemas this week. The 42-year-old received an Oscar nomination for her role as Siobhán, the long-suffering sister of Colm Farrell's character, in The Banshees of Inisherin. She is also known for playing Octavia in the hit HBO series Rome (2005-2007); Stacey Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul (2015-2022); and as the voice of the AI entity F.R.I.D.A.Y. in various films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kerry Condon in F1 Pic: Warner Bros/Apple But she says the learning curve for her latest role was so steep, she thought she would have to go and get a degree in aerodynamics. 'I didn't know anything about Formula One, not a thing at all. I only knew about the podium and the champagne celebrations. That was the height of my knowledge. 'I had to learn a lot. about the engineering side of making the car and the physics of it. I got to a certain point where I said, 'I have to go to college to learn this properly!'' But instead, Condon wisely focused on 'the particular scenes that I was in' and explained to the audience what was going on, so if you are not a Formula One fan, you'll understand what is happening in the movie. Kerry has been nominated for an Oscar for her previous work. Pic: Rob Latour/Shutterstock 'So trying to walk that fine line between being very normal with a lot of the terminology, but yet in a way that people will understand.' Over the past 20 years, Condon has established herself as one of the most sought-after character actors in Hollywood, but the Tipperary star said she only now feels comfortable in her new role as a 'leading lady? acting opposite Brad Pitt' no less. Speaking this week ahead of the release of F1, Condon said she felt confident taking on the leading lady role in what is set to be this year's big summer blockbuster. Brad Pitt and Damson Idris in F1 Pic: Warner Bros/Apple 'I can be a character actress, but I can also be a leading lady? It wasn't a fluke, I got an Oscar nomination [for Banshees], and I felt I was up for acting opposite Brad Pitt. I think I've enough experience. I think I know what I'm doing,' she said during an interview with the US showbiz platform Entertainment Tonight. In F1, Condon plays Kate McKenna, race director of the fictional APX GP team and the first female technical director in Formula One. Her character is influenced by Northern Ireland's Bernie Collins, a former Formula One strategy engineer. Condon has also revealed she and Hollywood A-lister Pitt share 'a bit of romance' in the movie. Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert this week, she shot the host a suggestive look when he asked if depicting a romance with Pitt's character was 'part of the draw' for her to take part in the new movie. 'They scheduled it for half eight on a Thursday morning,' she said of her call time for those scenes with Pitt. 'I was like, 'Ah, come on.' So I had a vodka orange juice for my breakfast that morning. 'We were supposed to be in Vegas on a night out or whatever,' she added, before telling Colbert: 'You're giving it all away!'' And at a red-carpet event this week, the down-to-earth Thurles-born star gave a rather Irish answer when asked to reveal her most memorable moment during the high-profile, global blockbuster shoot. Instead of nights out or parties with fellow cast members, which also include Javier Bardem and Damson Idris, Condon recalled walking around casinos in Las Vegas at 5 am when filming had finished, 'drinking tea' that cost $15 (€13). She also rubbished reports circulating online that she is about to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a real-life reprise of her F.R.I.D.A.Y. character in the upcoming Disney series, Vision Quest. 'It's not true!' Condon said emphatically. 'I saw [the reports], and I was like, 'Who's saying this?!' It's not true, no, no, no? 'I wouldn't say absolutely 'no chance', but at the moment it's not in the cards for me.'
The Journal
2 days ago
- The Journal
Heatwaves are giving Irish people diarrhoea
'IRELAND IS BASKING in a heatwave,' proclaimed a headline in The Journal in June 2018. By September, Met Éireann had confirmed that the summer of 2018 was one of the hottest on record. But as the country once again experiences high temperatures this weekend, scientists have bad news for us. The hot conditions in Ireland in the summer of 2018 caused at least 169 extra cases of bacterial gastroenteritis, stomach bugs which cause vomiting and diarrhoea, a new study has found. The majority of the infections are believed to have been foodborne, although outdoor activities such as swimming and contact with farm animals are also known risk factors. These infections can be very severe in children under 5 and in older adults. Contaminated food Lead researcher Paul Hynds, of TU Dublin, explained that hotter temperatures mean more growth and greater survival of bacteria on food. The other culprit? The barbecues gathering dust in garden sheds across the country until hot weather strikes. Barbecuing and eating outdoors increases the likelihood of meats being improperly stored or cooked. 'At the end of the day, it's a bit of a perfect storm,' Hynds said. 'The Irish are not necessarily expert barbecue cooks, and [barbecuing] occurs during a time when microbial growth and survival are elevated.' Beware the barbecue dads. Alamy Alamy The study identified infection hot spots in the Dublin area, with the researchers suggesting this may have been due to increased exposure to weather-related activities, such as outdoor swimming and barbecues. Dubliners may also have lower levels of acquired immunity to these pathogens than rural residents. The researchers said other possible factors contributing to infection could include irrigation of vegetables with contaminated water, or meat processing and transportation methods that were not appropriate for heatwave conditions. Advertisement The study is important because research on the health impacts of heatwaves in temperate regions such as Ireland is still in its infancy. It demonstrates that heatwaves can increase transmission of these pathogens to humans. With an extreme summer such as 2018′s expected to occur every two out of three years in Europe in a 1.5 degree-warmer world, a rise in gastroenteritis infections can be expected in the future. The study found 101 of the extra infections were caused by the pathogen campylobacter, with men, younger adults and people living in urban areas most affected. A further 68 infections were caused by STEC, another type of bacteria, with older people and those in rural areas most affected. These are the two stomach bugs that cause the most disease globally. Scaled up to Europe as a whole, the Irish findings represent several thousand extra cases, putting significant extra pressure on healthcare systems. The research , published in the journal One Health, was based on national data on laboratory-confirmed infections. Campylobacteriosis cases (seasonally adjusted) 2011-2019, with peak during 2018 drought period highlighted. One Health One Health Human health effects of extreme weather In Ireland, disease outbreaks are often preceded by heavy rainfall, causing surface run-off of pathogens to private drinking water sources. This study shows that the incidence of infection is also influenced by periods of heatwave and drought. Scientists are currently working on more research on the human health effects of extreme weather in Ireland. These include effects on mental health and wellbeing, for a variety of reasons, including lost sleep; the effects on people with respiratory conditions such as asthma; and the effects on older people's health. Last year was the first year of global warming above the important 1.5 degree threshold. The Paris Agreement committed countries to strive to avoid 1.5-degree warming as a long-term average. The research team behind the study included scientists from the HSE, the Health Information and Quality Authority and University College Cork. The study was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. Unsure of what exactly is happening with the earth's climate? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to finding good information online. Visit Knowledge Bank Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
