Turtle in a coma found washed up on sands of Co Clare beach

A MAROONED loggerhead turtle was yesterday being rehabilitated after being washed up on Doughmore beach in Co Clare.

Christened “Imirceach” or “Little Migrant”, the juvenile loggerhead turtle was discovered on the beach facing Doonbeg golf club – in a comatose state and suffering from hypothermia.

Cathy Blake was one of three employees of the golf club carrying out coastal erosion works at the beach when they discovered the turtle: “We touched it around the neck and its head did move.”

The three immediately alerted Dr Simon Berrow, project manager of the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation.

Dr Berrow said yesterday that in his 20 years working in marine, it was “the first live loggerhead or hardshelled turtle find that I have personally come across in Ireland”. He noted, however, that a live loggerhead was found on Inch Strand in Co Kerry in 2008.

Dr Berrow transferred the Doughmore turtle to Lahinch Seaworld, 15 miles away. There, it was placed in quarantine. “It perked up almost straight away and was moving its flippers. This is very exciting. It is unfortunate for the turtle, but it has recovered very quickly,” he said.

The loggerhead is an endangered species and its natural habitat is warmer waters. Below 10 degrees, it goes into a comatose state. Dr Berrow estimated it will take months for Imirceach to get back to full health.

He said he believed the turtle was a juvenile male, while its shell is 50cm in diameter. Turtles can live to be over 50 years old. He speculated the turtle got lost from its feeding routes around Cape Verde off the western coast of Africa, and drifted up to the colder waters off Ireland.

Manager of Lahinch Seaworld Tim Forde said: “We will take the best care of the turtle and . . . all going well, fly it back to its natural habitat to the Azores.”