Ireland: Hypothermic Turtle Rescued to Gran Canaria

An endangered turtle that washed ashore in Ireland suffering from hypothermia has been returned to its home islands by plane — and even had its own boarding pass.

The three-year-old loggerhead turtle, known as Julius Caesar or «JC», was discovered on a beach in County Donegal, but has now taken a flight to much warmer waters.

Airline Aer Lingus teamed up with Exploris Aquarium, where the reptile has lived for the past three years, to fly it to Gran Canaria and release it there.

Aer Lingus pilot Captain Peter Lumsden said: «It is our pleasure to welcome a very special passenger on board today and to ensure the safe transport of JC the Turtle to Gran Canaria.«

Since first contact, Aer Lingus has worked closely with the Exploris Aquarium team and our maintenance and engineering as well as ground operations teams to ensure that all of JC's needs are met on this important mission.

It is vital for the turtle's wellbeing that its temperature is kept above 19 degrees, and it must be regularly monitored and its shell moisturised.

Its specially designed crate was securely strapped across several seats in the cabin.

It is believed that the nine-month-old JC, weighing just a few hundred grams, got caught in the wrong current in January 2019 and was swept along by the Gulf Stream.

Loggerhead turtles are endangered and thrive best in warmer climates, so the cold waters of the North Atlantic put JC's life at risk.

Fortunately, he was discovered by a local family and brought to the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, County Down, where he was able to recover in a tropical tank with tasty fish mixtures and squid.

The pandemic prevented his return for three years, but on September 15th the reptile, now weighing 25 kg, was packed into a waterproof crate and brought aboard flight EI 782 from Dublin to Gran Canaria.

He was accompanied by his carer Portia Sampson, who ensured that he was safely handed over to the Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Silvestre de Tarifa upon arrival.

Less than 24 hours later, JC had fully settled into his new home and was released back into the sea.

Aer Lingus had already transported another loggerhead sea turtle, Leona, to Las Palmas on Gran Canaria in December 2014, after she had been discovered in County Clare.

Loggerhead sea turtles are among the endangered and threatened species whose populations are declining in the wild.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), they are «the living representatives of a group of reptiles that has lived on Earth and in our oceans for 100 million years.«