Satellite tracking to unravel mystery of the leatherback
The turtle, which weighs about a ton and is seven feet long, was discovered stuck on lobster pot ropes off Brandon Creek.
The female, believed to be less than 100 years old, is from a species that can live to be 200 years old, Department of the Marine official Kevin Flannery said yesterday.
He said the species of turtle was the biggest marine reptile found in Irish waters during the summer period.
It has also been seen as far north as Iceland.
An endangered species, it is unable to distinguish between plastic and jellyfish.
Many turtles choke to death on plastic.
As well as that, its eggs are eaten by people in its breeding grounds in Venezuela, South America.
“People there believe the eggs to have an aphrodisiac quality,” Mr Flannery revealed.
“Not that much is known about the leatherback, but we should be able to learn a lot about it from monitoring the tracking device, which we will attach to its back.
“We had been looking for this kind of turtle for some time and the information will be very useful from the point of view of research.
“The information will also be made available to the public through the internet,” said Mr Flannery.
Professor John Davenport and Tom Doyle, from UCC, will also be involved in the monitoring.
The turtle is due to be released back into the sea today.
