Passengers flying from Jersey to Southampton on Tuesday morning were joined by a special traveller— an endangered turtle rescued after Storm Goretti.
Crush, a loggerhead turtle, was found “cold-stunned” and malnourished by a member of the public bad weather last month and taken to the New Era Veterinary Hospital in St Saviour, Jersey, for life-saving treatment.
After her condition stabilised, she was given special permission by Loganair to fly to the UK for rehabilitation because a ferry journey might have caused undue stress, according to Peter Haworth, the clinical director.
Crush will be strong enough to return to the wild in springtime
FINNBARR WEBSTER/GETTY IMAGES
After landing in Southampton at 7.30am on Tuesday, Crush, who was named after a character from the film Finding Nemo, was taken to the Sea Life centre in Weymouth, Dorset.
The New Era Veterinary Hospital said she would spend several weeks in quarantine at the centre in a 2,000-litre tank before joining another cold-stunned turtle in a larger tank. Cold-stunning is a condition in which sea turtles become weak and inactive from exposure to cold temperatures.
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“She will be fed up and got strong enough for a return to the wild in springtime — when all cold-stunned turtles in the UK will be taken and released,” the hospital said on social media.
Sea Life had to arrange extensive paperwork to authorise Crush’s transfer because she belongs to an endangered species.
Ronnie Matheson, chief commercial officer at Loganair, said: “This was certainly one of the more unusual passengers we’ve welcomed on board, but supporting Crush’s journey was something we were very happy to do. Our teams worked closely with Peter and his colleagues to ensure that she could travel as calmly and comfortably as possible, whilst ensuring the safety of all of our passengers and colleagues.”
Dan Townsend, head of airside operations at Southampton airport, said: “We’re delighted to support this special journey and play a small part in helping this young turtle get the expert care it needs. Our teams work closely with airline partners like Loganair to make sure unique animal movements like this one are handled safely and smoothly, and we’re proud to help facilitate its onward recovery.”