In September, the bet365下载ios and partners will release a rehabilitated Kemp鈥檚 ridley sea turtle named 鈥淭ally鈥 from Galveston into the Gulf of Mexico for a second chance at life. Tally was found stranded and near death on the distant shores of Talacre in Northern Wales in 2021.
鈥淭he cold waters of the Northeast Atlantic usually result in certain death for this species of subtropical sea turtle in the winter,鈥 said Mary Kay Skoruppa, the bet365下载ios鈥檚 Texas Sea Turtle Coordinator. 鈥淏ut thanks to the quick response of a great group of international partners and volunteers, Tally is alive and ready to come home.鈥
Kemp鈥檚 ridley sea turtles are the smallest and one of the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world. Though primarily found in the Gulf of Mexico and coastal waters of eastern North America, juvenile Kemp鈥檚 ridleys sometimes get swept up in the powerful Gulf Stream and are carried all the way across the Atlantic.
After washing up on the shoreline on the north coast of Wales in November 2021, Tally was spotted by a dog walker and reported as 鈥減resumed dead鈥 to the local British Divers鈥 Marine Life Rescue. The responding biologist from the , Gem Simmons, soon realized Tally was still alive, and along with the director of the zoo, Frankie Hobro, provided months of intensive care until the turtle was healthy again.
With Tally fully recovered, this year an international team decided it is time to come home. But flying an endangered sea turtle between continents is a complex operation.
First, Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed species need more than just a plane ticket and a suitcase to hop between countries. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates the transport of listed species to ensure that international trade in animals and plants does not threaten their survival in the wild. So before Tally can go anywhere, Skoruppa had to make sure the turtle has a valid CITES import permit in order to clear the Service鈥檚 Office of Law Enforcement wildlife inspectors upon arrival in the U.S.
Next, the team had to figure out how to transport Tally back to her home continent. To help with the logistics of the flight, the team reached out to , who partner with the Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to coordinate and facilitate aviation in endangered sea turtle relocation efforts. Ken Andrews of Turtles Fly Too described this as their 鈥渇urthest and most complex mission ever flown.鈥
Crucially, the Royal Air Force (RAF) stepped up as key partner, greatly assisting in resolving logistical hurdles and generously offering their facilities at RAF Valley and RAF Northolt. Wing Commander Chris Pote of RAF Valley noted the mission鈥檚 significance, saying it involved 鈥渙ne of the most endangered of all sea turtles.鈥 Acting Sergeant Beth Roberts added that collaborating on this 鈥渨orthwhile project鈥 had been a privilege. Thanks to this invaluable partnership and the piloting skills of British Airways Captain Chris Sharp and Tom Baker, Tally and Hobro will be flown home on a commercial flight donated by Turtles Fly Too at the end of August.
Once Tally arrives in the U.S., the turtle will be transferred to the , where veterinarians will ensure it is healthy enough to be released into the wild. If approved by the Zoo鈥檚 veterinarians, researchers from will attach a tracking device to monitor its movements after release.
If all goes well, the international team of partners along with Dr. Donna Shaver, the Texas Sea Turtle Stranding Coordinator from Padre Island National Seashore, are planning to meet in Galveston to celebrate Tally鈥檚 release back into the wild in early September.
鈥淎n endangered species is one that is at risk of extinction in the near future, so every individual counts,鈥 Skoruppa said. 鈥淲e are incredibly thankful for all the volunteers and partners who have given Tally a second chance at life; from the dog walker in Wales who reported the turtle, to Turtles Fly Too who are generously flying her back to Texas. We hope that Tally will grow to maturity and return to nest on a Texas beach in a few years to help ensure her species鈥 survival into the future.鈥
While Tally鈥檚 epic journey is a little unusual, unfortunately stranded sea turtle sightings are not uncommon. In Texas, hundreds of stranded sea turtles are documented by the each year due to cold-stunning, injury and illness.
Anytime a sea turtle is found on a beach or shoreline in Texas, the Service advises the public to quickly report it by calling 1-866-TURTLE-5 (1-866-887-8535).
Partners involved in the effort to rescue, rehabilitate and return Tally to the U.S. include British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Anglesey Sea Zoo, the Royal Air Force, Turtles Fly Too, Houston Zoo, Texas A&M University at Galveston鈥檚 Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research, Padre Island National Seashore, the Texas Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.
