A rare Leatherback turtle has been spotted off the coast of the Hebrides, an archipelago off the coast of North-West Scotland.
Around 15 miles off the coast of the Isle Of Muck, a crew from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust were performing an acoustic expedition to survey marine life when they spotted the large 2.5-meter long sea turtle.
This is very rare in the UK, with the last sighting being 17 years ago. All of the ship’s crew were shocked — they had never seen a turtle in UK waters before.
The Ecologist explains the rarity of the situation and how it may be explained:
“Although this sighting is rare, leatherback turtles should feel right at home in Scottish waters as they have a unique set of adaptations, including change in blood flow and a thick layer of fat, that allow them to have internal control over their body temperature. This means that they are able to forage in temperatures lower than 5˚ Celsius (41˚ Fahrenheit).”
Though these sightings are very rare, it’s good to know that this species has multiple options for places it might want to call home.
Whether it’s a turtle, dolphin, whale, or porpoise, it’s great that Scotland’s marine life is alive and well.
