It thrives in the tropical waters of the Gulf of Mexico, its spawning ground. But Kemp’s turtle also ventures into the somewhat colder waters of the North Atlantic. The corpse of one of these reptiles was thus discovered on Wednesday on a beach in Paimpol in the Côtes-d’Armor. As soon as the alert was given, Yann Guillozo, aquarium manager at the Grand Aquarium de Saint-Malo, went to the site to recover the animal, which will be transferred in the coming days to the Aquarium de la Rochelle, where the center is located. studies and care for sea turtles.
Kemp’s tortoise is one of seven species of sea turtles. Measuring between 58 and 70 centimeters, it is also the smallest. The discovery of this turtle on a Breton beach is an event for scientists as the species is so rare. Threatened with extinction, it is indeed
on the red list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), victim “of human activity (trawling, poaching, pollution…)”, specifies the Grand Aquarium of Saint-Malo.
Advice in the event of a stranding of an animal
With the discovery of this corpse, the establishment takes the opportunity to recall the recommendations in the event of an animal stranding, dead or injured. It is therefore important not to handle the animal in order to avoid any risk of disease transmission.
On the other hand, people are invited to note the essential information and to take photos and to contact the Pelagis observatory if it is a marine mammal and the Center for Studies and Care of Marine Turtles for these species.