"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
17 Oct 2024
Six weary sea turtles boarded a Royal Navy ship to return to their home in the Azores after being blown thousands of miles off course, cold-stunned, and beached. Before being startled into sluggishness by the frigid North Atlantic waters, the six loggerhead sea turtles—whose home is in the milder waters far to the south of the British Isles—were probably blown off course by a storm. They would have even perished after washing up on Devon and Cornwall beaches, but they were saved and given medical attention by volunteers from two nearby marine sanctuaries.
The caretakers at Anglesey Sea Zoo and Newquay Blue Reef Aquarium were unsure of what to do with these tropical seamen once they were well again. Although neither aquarium had the means to move them across continents, they were unable to be returned to the North Atlantic.
(Source: Google Images)
The crew of HMS named ‘Medway’ loaded the six loggerhead turtles—Jason, Gordon, Perran, Hayle, Holly, and Tonni—along with her(referring to Medway here) usual load of food supplies, equipment spare parts, and disaster relief/aid packages. She made a brief halt at the Portuguese islands for a turtle "repatriation" after leaving Plymouth last week on a mission to replace her sister ship, HMS Trent.
(Source: Google Images)
“As professional mariners, many of us are keen to do what we can to reduce the loss of biodiversity at sea. Encountering marine wildlife is one of the great joys of seafaring and if we can assist, even in a small way, to make that more likely in the future we are pleased to be able to do that. Assisting turtles to return to warmer waters may not be the Royal Navy’s primary role but as a government body we are very pleased to be able to support the UK’s ambition for more healthy and diverse seas.” said Rod Jones, the Royal Navy’s Senior Maritime Environmental Protection Adviser.