Leatherback turtle stranding in North Devon
Added: 7th December 2011
This week, a leatherback turtle has been found stranded (dead) on Woolacombe beach, North Devon.
Leatherback turtles are the largest of all living sea turtles in the world. They can reach up to 3m long and feed mostly on jellyfish.
Most sea turtles are rare visitors to the temperate waters of the UK. However, the leatherback visits our latitudes annually. The best time to see leatherbacks is during spring/summer, when the water is at its warmest and jellyfish are most abundant.
Since 1966 DBRC has received records of 9 sightings of leatherback around Devon's coastline and 8 strandings.