Green sea turtle rescued in North Uist in first confirmed Scottish sighting of species

A green sea turtle has been rescued from an island in the Outer Hebrides, marking the first confirmed sighting of the species in Scotland.

The turtle was found by a member of the public in North Uist on Thursday, October 29, and reported to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).

A medic from the charity was on the island at the time and was able to attend quickly to support the turtle, which could not have survived in the cold Scottish waters.

Along with the help of Marine Environment Monitoring and Sea Life, it was identified as a green turtle – native to subtropical waters around the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Since records began in 1875, only six living green sea turtles have been reported around the coastline of the UK and Ireland.

The North Uist finding is the first on record in Scotland.

The turtle has been transferred to Sea Life Blackpool BDMLR

Once rescued, the turtle was cared for overnight in North Uist before being transferred to Sea Life Loch Lomond.

The team at the Balloch site carried out initial care to stabilise the turtle and ensure it was fit to travel to the Sea Life centre in Blackpool, where it will remain until strong enough to travel back to a suitable release site.

A spokesperson for Marine Environment Monitoring said: “If you ever see any marine turtle, it is important to report it straight away.

“If it’s alive and at sea, you can report it via our website.

“If it is on the beach alive or dead, please report it by our telephone line 0800 652 0333 and select option one.”