A critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle named Rhossi, who was rescued from a Welsh beach in December 2023, is set to be flown roughly 5,000 miles (8,047km) back to the Gulf of Mexico after nearly two years of recovery and preparation. Staff at the Anglesey Sea Zoo, who nursed the turtle back to health, have coordinated a multi-stage journey involving a helicopter transfer, a road leg, and an intercontinental cargo flight to ensure the animal reaches Texas safely.
According to Ascona Group, the logistics now planned involve flying Rhossi first to Denham Aerodrome in Buckinghamshire, then transporting him by road to Heathrow, where he will board a British Airways cargo flight bound for Houston. That same report notes the helicopter leg is expected to replace what would otherwise be roughly seven hours of road travel, reducing the time the turtle spends out of water.
The trip has taken almost two years of planning, requiring the construction of a bespoke temperature-controlled crate and the completion of extensive paperwork spanning two countries. Because Rhossi must be moved out of the sea entirely, staff have to work quickly and remain on hand throughout to prevent him from drying out or becoming dehydrated during transit.
Matt Davidson, curator of Anglesey Sea Zoo, explained the unusual measures needed to protect the turtle's delicate skin and shell during the journey.
"For his skin, we use KY Jelly - better known as a sex lubricant - because it's gentle on the eyes," said Matt Davidson, curator of Anglesey Sea Zoo.
"We have to make sure that the shell is really well lubricated, so we spread Vaseline all over to stop it drying out and flaking off. The same for the skin – it's really delicate – and especially the eyes, which both have to be lubricated before he goes into the crate and again just before takeoff, or he will start to peel like someone getting sunburned. But I have had to go to the checkout in a chemist's with about eight tubes of KY Jelly and three tubs of Vaseline and explain what's happening when I get strange looks."
How was Rhossi found and rescued?
Rhossi takes his name from Rhosneigr, the Anglesey beach where he was discovered barely alive in December 2023 by a dog named Meg during a walk with her owner. At the time he was under two years old and in a condition conservationists describe as "cold-stunned," a state brought on by exposure to water far colder than his natural habitat.
Sea zoo staff believe the young turtle strayed from warmer waters after being pushed off course by strong winds. Over the following two-and-a-half years of care, Rhossi grew dramatically, tripling in size from under 1kg (2.2lb) to 21kg (46lbs).
Frankie Hobro, owner of the Anglesey Sea Zoo, described the uncertainty of the turtle's early recovery and the mixed emotions of preparing to release him back into the wild.
"Cold-stunned turtles rarely survive without specialist help - we didn't know if he would make it in the first week or two," said Frankie Hobro, owner of the Anglesey Sea Zoo.
"Turtles belong in the wild, not in captivity, so it's incredibly emotional because this is what we've been working towards for more than two years. But we have got to know him and his individual quirks while caring for him, and we know that soon, a little piece of us is going to be swimming off into the Caribbean Sea, and we'll never see him again."
Who else is involved in getting Rhossi home?
Beyond the Anglesey team, the operation has drawn in specialists on the American side of the Atlantic. Per Good Good Good, two retired experts have come back to assist with the final stages: Dr. Joe Flanagan is handling the pre-release medical checks once Rhossi arrives in Texas, while Mary Kay Skoruppa is managing the associated paperwork. The same report notes that Rhossi now holds the necessary license for release and that his travel crate has been specially built with temperature control in mind.
This kind of dedicated, hands-on conservation effort echoes other grassroots rescue work across the UK, such as the Hughes family's long-running campaign to save Europe's rarest mollusc, detailed in our earlier coverage of their fight to protect the endangered glutinous snail through breeding programs and habitat restoration.
Why does this matter for the species?
Kemp's ridley turtles are considered the rarest sea turtles in the world, nesting on only two beaches globally: one in Mexico and one in Texas. The Anglesey Sea Zoo hopes that returning Rhossi to the wild will contribute, even modestly, to the survival prospects of the species.
Rhossi is the fourth sea turtle the zoo has rescued and rehabilitated over the past decade, and staff are now working on plans to build a dedicated turtle rescue centre to support any further cold-stunned turtles found along the Welsh coastline.
What happens once Rhossi reaches Texas?
Conservation partners say Rhossi is expected to be released into the Gulf of Mexico near Padre Island National Seashore approximately a week after his arrival in Texas, according to Ascona Group. A separate report from Good Good Good states the release has been scheduled for Aug. 18 at the same location.
Key Facts
- Rhossi, a Kemp's ridley sea turtle, was found cold-stunned near Rhosneigr, Anglesey, in December 2023 by a dog named Meg.
- He grew from under 1kg (2.2lb) to 21kg (46lbs) during two-and-a-half years of care at Anglesey Sea Zoo.
- His journey home involves a helicopter transfer to Denham Aerodrome, a road trip to Heathrow, and a British Airways cargo flight to Houston.
- Retired specialists Dr. Joe Flanagan and Mary Kay Skoruppa are assisting with pre-release checks and paperwork in Texas.
- Release into the Gulf of Mexico near Padre Island National Seashore is expected roughly a week after arrival, possibly on Aug. 18.
