The UK airline Loganair transported a very special passenger, ‘Crush’ the loggerhead turtle, recently.
As the largest regional airline in the UK, it received special dispensation to fly Crush within the passenger cabin on a scheduled service from Jersey to Southampton. With no temperature control in the cargo hold, Crush had to travel in the passenger cabin as she needed to be kept moist. This allowed her to continue her rehabilitation with specialists from SEA LIFE Weymouth, near Dorset.
Crush was washed up on a Jersey beach during a recent storm but loggerhead turtles typically live in much warmer waters and are rarely found in the Channel Islands. Storms and colder ocean currents can disorientate them, leading to a condition known as ‘cold stunning’. This prolonged exposure to cold water causes their bodies to shut down.
After being discovered by a member of the public on Jersey, the weak and malnourished turtle was taken to New Era Veterinary Hospital in St Saviour. There, she received round-the-clock treatment from Peter Haworth, Clinical Director at the practice.
On arrival at Southampton Airport, Crush was transported 50 miles to Weymouth in Dorset where there is a large SEA LIFE complex. She was treated by the turtle team at the venue, fed and medicated as required. She will be returned to the ocean in due course once fully fit and well.
She has already undergone a specialist CT scan and has gained more than 700g, an increase of more than 25%. She has also been treated for a lung infection, common in turtles stranded on UK shores in a weakened state, and recent blood results suggest antibiotic treatment is working well and the infection has nearly cleared. Crush will continue to undergo regular blood tests and X-rays.
Kico Iraola, Curator at SEA LIFE Weymouth, said: “Crush has shown an incredible fighting spirit since arriving with us, and this is a really encouraging stage in her recovery. Her weight gain over the past six weeks is a strong sign that she is responding well to treatment and the specialist care she is receiving.”
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