A RARE loggerhead turtle was found washed up on Crooklets beach at Bude recently.

Wendy Hatwell found the tiny animal at high tide during a litter pick on Crooklets beach at around 7.30am last Wednesday morning. She said: “It was on the high tide line, upside down — I thought it was a crab!”

Wendy said she was shocked to find that the creature was in fact a turtle, which had sadly died. “It was completely intact, undamaged. I checked it thoroughly to make sure it was dead, otherwise I would have taken it to Tamar Vets. I placed it in a safe area amongst the rocks as I wanted to show my husband later that day. I had no idea what a rare find it was!”

Wendy and her husband returned to check the turtle later that afternoon, and with no change to its appearance, they put the turtle back. “Out of curiosity, I googled Cornwall turtles and found it was a rare find. I contacted Three Bays Wildlife Group, but they explained they covered the St Austell area.”

The group advised Wendy to contact the strandings network at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and after doing so, took photographs of the turtle alongside a tape measure. “It was only the size of my hand, but so beautifully marked,” she added.

“The group were very appreciative and said that they would use my information, as sadly this is all they had of this loggerhead turtle. I feel very privileged to have found it.”

Cornwall Wildlife Trust advises anyone who finds a dead marine animal to call its 24-hour strandings hotline urgently on 0345 201 2626, which is for all dead marine animals.

Other urgent hotlines for marine animals are:

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), 01825 765 546 (24 hours), for live stranded whales, dolphins and seals; Cornwall Seal Sanctuary, 01326 221 361, for advice on live injured or distressed seals; RSPCA, 0300 123 4999 (24 hours), for live birds and other marine life in need of rescue and treatment; Cornwall Marine and Coastal Code, 0345 201 2626 (24 hours), for disturbance and harassment incidences involving marine wildlife and habitats.