A living loggerhead turtle has been discovered washed up on Bredene beach in a first for Belgium, according to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
This species of sea turtle is usually found in all oceans except polar regions, and indeed, the North Sea is not part of its usual habitat. The Institute highlighted that while several beachings have been recorded in the Netherlands, no sightings have ever been confirmed before in Belgium.
The turtle, a young specimen with a shell length of just 14cm compared to over a metre in adulthood, was collected by firefighters and reported to the Institute.
Juvenile loggerhead turtles from North America and Cape Verde undertake a multi-year circumnavigation of the Atlantic Ocean before returning to their birthplaces. The Institute explained, “During this stage of their life, strong currents can cause them to drift. The westerly currents in the Atlantic Ocean mainly occur in autumn and winter, so it’s no coincidence that sea turtles from the North Sea also appear most often during this period.”
A north-west storm in the past two days could have affected the turtle’s route, washing it up along with driftwood and objects like buoys from the US and Canada.
However, the Belgian Institute noted it is not possible to deduce the birthplace of the Belgian loggerhead turtle from this information.
The animal, wounded on the back of its shell, has been taken to Sea Life in Blankenberge for treatment.
