and I'm not talking about visiting an aquarium!
** Updated May 2023 **
Did you know that each summer leatherback turtles cross the Atlantic to feast on jelly fish off the North Wales coast?
The largest leatherback turtle ever recorded was found dead on the beach at Harlech in 1988 - the animal was over 2m long, weighed 900kg (2000 lbs) and was around 100 years old!
At sea leatherbacks seem to be particularly vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear, especially long lines and gill nets. Tragically, they can also mistake plastic waste floating in the sea, for juicy jellyfish!
Do people regularly see the turtles?
They are quite shy and obviously still quite rare BUT there are getting to be more turtles worldwide thanks to the conservation efforts especially on their breeding beaches. We now need to get to grips with the plastic waste.
So if you're on the beach in Snowdonia (or out in a boat) in the summer and you THINK that you've seen a turtle - you might well have done. And maybe you'll remember that jellyfish aren't such a curse after all.
Find more information about leatherback turtles HERE
Did you know that there appear to be more and more turtle strandings on North Wales beaches?
There is currently NO dedicated turtle rescue centre in the UK. In recent years Anglesey Sea Zoo have rescued and habilitated these turtles - none of them were leatherbacks:
Tally, a juvenile Kemps Ridley turtle
Tonni, a very tiny Loggerhead turtle
Menai, an adult female Olive Ridley
To find out more about their plans click HERE
Anglesey Sea Zoo is about 70 minutes drive from Cadair View Lodge accommodation
Look out for more Cadair View Lodge Ltd wildlife blogs.
I don't claim to be a wildlife expert and I'm happy to be corrected if I've made a mistake. I'm just trying to pass on a little knowledge which enhance a visit to our wonderful part of Wales.
See our accommodation in the Heart of Snowdonia HERE