Leatherback turtle spotted off Lyme Regis coast

Back in July 2015, local boat skipper John King encountered a leatherback turtle off the coast of Lyme Regis while out on his boat ‘Susie B’”.

Leatherback turtles are rarely spotted in UK waters, but John was able to grab a few photos of the majestic creature to prove that for this particularly one, good grub was worth travelling for as it was feasting on a barrel jellyfish.

Mr King commented "It suddenly appeared by the side of the boat was around seven feet long with an exceptionally large head. I have never seen one before and I've spoken to fishermen who have been out here for 40 years and they have never seen one.

"They are endangered so I was a bit concerned about it - but I've been told they can adapt to colder water temperatures, so I am hopeful that it will make it.

"It was absolutely massive, and it seemed to be eating a barrel jellyfish, which are pretty big themselves."

According to the Marine Conservation Society, leatherback turtles can weigh up to a tonne and can measure almost three metres in length. They resemble a large, black leather settee, and unlike any other reptile, they can raise their own body temperatures enabling them to swim in cooler waters if they need to. The leatherback is the largest of all marine turtle species and at a distance could be mistaken for a floating log, but if you approach them slowly and carefully, once you see their large reptilian head, massive flippers and ridged leathery shell you can’t mistake them for anything else.

Leatherback turtle populations face extinction in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, while many nesting populations in the Atlantic appear to be on the increase which may also be due to the increasing availability of their jellyfish prey, combined with collapses in the populations of predatory fish such as tuna and sharks.

Julie Hatcher, marine awareness officer for the Dorset Wildlife Trust, thinks there is no reason why more of the creatures won't be spotted in Dorset while there are so many barrel jellyfish in the waters.
"There was someone who got in touch with us who said they had spotted a leatherback turtle off the coast near Portland, but they didn't get a picture," she said. "This is the first confirmed sighting that we are aware of and it's just amazing. We have had all these barrel jellyfish sightings on the coast this year and we always say we get quite excited about the possibility that we could get the turtles who came to feed on the jellyfish.”

"They are extremely rare to see here. They breed in the Caribbean and then travel across the ocean in the Jet Stream to feed off jellyfish. They can be quite commonly spotted off the coast of Ireland, but to see one in the English Channel is remarkable really."