Turtles

Introduction

Marine turtles are not a common sight in Welsh seas but the largest marine turtle - the leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea - is the only species which visits Wales regularly as part of its normal range. The largest specimen ever recorded washed up on Harlech beach in the 1988 - it measured 2.9m long and weighed 961kg. It is unique amongst reptiles as it has a flexible leathery shell and can raise its body temperature, allowing it to survive the colder waters of the UK where it comes to feed on jellyfish in summer months.

Other turtle species have hard shells and are not as likely to be seen in Welsh waters. These include the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta, green turtle Chelonia mydas, hawksbill turtle Eretmochelys imbricata, Kemps Ridley turtle Lepidochelys kempii and Olive Ridley Lepidochelys olivacea. Juveniles may be carried by currents from warmer seas.

‘Menai’ – an Olive ridley turtle washed up on Anglesey in 2016 which is the only record of this species in the UK Washed-up rare turtle species confirmed as Olive ridley - BBC News.

Protection of turtles in Wales

Although rarely seen, turtles have strict protection in Wales.

There are two turtle species listed on Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act (Loggerhead turtle and Leatherback turtle).

Turtle species listed on the Section 7 list

Species name	Species common name	Species Welsh name
Caretta caretta	Loggerhead turtle	Crwban môr pendew
Dermochelys coriacea	Leatherback turtle	Crwban môr cefn lledr

All marine turtles that could be found in Wales are listed under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).

Under the EC habitats directive, marine turtles (apart from olive ridley) are European Protected Species (EPS) and have strict protection in UK against injuring, capturing, killing and disturbing, as well as destroying a resting or breeding site.