5,000 miles to freedom for rescued turtle Rhossi

A rare and critically endangered sea turtle rescued from an Anglesey beach is preparing to make an extraordinary 5,000-mile journey home to the Gulf of Mexico.

Rhossi, a juvenile Kemp's ridley sea turtle, has spent almost two years receiving specialist rehabilitation at Anglesey Sea Zoo after being rescued from Rhosneigr in December 2023.

Now, after making a full recovery, Rhossi has received his all-important ‘fit to fly’ certification and is preparing to leave Wales on Monday, August 10, beginning a journey that will eventually see him returned to the wild near Padre Island National Seashore in Texas.

His journey home will involve a helicopter flight to London, a road journey to Heathrow and then a long-haul flight to the United States before another road journey to the Gulf of Mexico.

The helicopter transfer has been generously provided by Ascona Group, helping to make the complicated international journey possible.

Rhossi's return is a major achievement for Anglesey Sea Zoo and the wider marine conservation community.

Kemp's ridley turtles are considered one of the world's most endangered sea turtle species, with only around 8,000 nesting females believed to remain in the wild. The species nests in just a small number of locations, primarily around the Gulf of Mexico.

Rhossi is the fourth cold-stunned turtle rescued by the Anglesey Sea Zoo team.

Their work began with Menai, followed by Tally, another juvenile Kemp's ridley turtle rescued after washing up on a North Wales beach in November 2021.

Tally's rehabilitation took around 20 months before she was flown to Texas and released back into the wild. The experience helped Anglesey Sea Zoo develop vital links with conservationists in the United States and establish new protocols for the rehabilitation and release of cold-stranded turtles found in the UK.

The team later cared for Tonni, a juvenile loggerhead turtle rescued in January 2023. After more than a year of intensive care, Tonni was released into the Atlantic near the Azores by the Royal Navy in September 2024.

Now it is Rhossi's turn.

His story highlights the increasingly important role being played by Anglesey Sea Zoo in rescuing and rehabilitating tropical sea turtles that become stranded on British beaches after being affected by cold water.

The aquarium is a native species aquarium, meaning its exhibits focus on British cold-water marine life, and it does not have a permanent facility designed for full-sized tropical turtles.

Despite that, its team has developed considerable expertise in turtle rescue and rehabilitation, taking on the work voluntarily and finding ways to care for the animals using the resources available.

Anglesey Sea Zoo says climate and ocean changes could mean more tropical turtles are reaching British waters, increasing the likelihood of future cold-stunning and strandings.

The organisation is now fundraising to create what it says would be the UK's first dedicated sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation facility.

The proposed facility would include a specialist examination area, a purpose-built turtle incubator and large adaptable recovery tanks, allowing several turtles to be cared for at different stages of rehabilitation.

The team says the facility would remain behind the scenes, separate from the main aquarium, because its ultimate aim is to return every rescued turtle to the wild rather than keep them on permanent display.

And there is even the possibility of a remarkable reunion for Rhossi.

If he successfully reaches the Gulf of Mexico and settles back into the wild, he could potentially cross paths with Tally, the Kemp's ridley rescued by Anglesey Sea Zoo in 2021 and released in Texas.

The prospect of the two turtles meeting again – and perhaps one day contributing to the next generation of Kemp's ridleys – would be an extraordinary conclusion to two remarkable rescue stories.

Supporters can follow Rhossi's journey as he travels from Wales to the Gulf of Mexico, with the journey taking place from August 10 to 18.

For Anglesey Sea Zoo, however, Rhossi's journey represents much more than the rescue of one turtle.

It demonstrates what can be achieved when animal rescuers, conservationists, businesses, volunteers and supporters work together across international borders to give a critically endangered species another chance.

The Sea Zoo is appealing for donations towards Rhossi's journey and the construction of its proposed turtle rescue and rehabilitation centre, which would allow the team to help more stranded turtles in the future.

Rhossi has been given a second chance. Now the Anglesey Sea Zoo team hopes his journey will help give many more turtles that same opportunity.