Tally: Turtle found in Talacre showing 'positive signs of recovery'

Last weekend, a local couple made the astonishing discovery of a juvenile Kemp's Ridley turtle while out walking their dog on the beach.

The finding of the turtle, named 'Tally' after the beach it was found on, was reported to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue - which attended and found the turtle was still alive.

It was transferred to the Anglesey Sea Zoo for specialist intensive care as it was in a state of cold water shock - as it typically found in much warmer waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

The aquarium placed Tally in a specially adapted incubator to help regulate its body temperature.

And on Sunday, Anglesey Sea Zoo issued an update to say that Tally is starting to "show positive signs of recovery and activity".

Tally is gradually increasing voluntary movements and appears to be strong, and blood test results show no underlying cause for concern, so we are starting to be hopeful about its chances of complete recovery.

After a very gradual initial increase in daily ambient temperature over the last week, Tally is now approaching the natural temperature for a Kemps Ridley turtle and coming out of the critical care stage of recuperation.

The Sea Zoo said: "We are seeing many positive signs of improvement and we are becoming cautiously hopeful that Tally may rally considerably in the next few days and be well on the road to recovery, which is a huge relief.

"The results of the initial blood samples are reassuring, as there do not appear to be any underlying conditions of concern as a result of Tally’s cold-stranding, beyond dehydration and those caused by general inactivity and muscle weakness, all of which were to be expected from the turtle having suffered the ordeal of cold-shock and stranding."

Celyn Thorpe, the vet treating Tally from Bennett Williams Vets in Gaerwen, Anglesey, said: "Our first treatment aims are to give broad spectrum antibiotics, to protect this debilitated patient against any bacterial infections.

"Tally’s condition means that the immune system is weakened and less able to protect him or her from disease. We are also giving rehydration therapy and some vitamin injections to support Tally until he or she is at a temperature where we’re able to feed them conventionally.”

Kemps Ridley turtles are the world’s rarest species of turtle and most critically endangered, protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regulations.

They have just two known breeding sites remaining for the species globally, both in the western Gulf of Mexico, making every individual extremely precious.

Tally is still too young to be easily determined as a male or female.

Ms. Frankie Hobro, Director and Owner of the Anglesey Sea Zoo, said: “We are extremely grateful for the amount of public support we have had since announcing Tally’s arrival and we would like to thank everyone for the well wishes and encouragement we are receiving for Tally.

"We are very pleased with Tally’s progress so far and we are now becoming hopeful if this continues that Tally may make a full recovery so that he or she can be flown back to Mexico and released in warmer waters and back in the wild where it belongs."