13
A SECOND SEA TURTLE IN THE THAMES
January 1997 saw the arrival of a Green Turtle on Foulness, the first definite record for
England this century. In October 1998 a huge turtle of a different species was discovered
swimming in the Thames off Gravesend by staff from the Port of London Authority.
Although apparently alive and well, the turtle was swimming in a major shipping lane.
Unfortunately it was later found mortally wounded outside Tilbury Docks with a huge
gash caused by a ship's propeller.
The Leathery Turtle
The unfortunate turtle was identified as a Leathery Turtle, and, as far as I know, it is the
first record of this species in the Thames. A few days after being seen at Tilbury on 22nd
November it was washed up on the shore at Denton, Gravesend, where it was
photographed by a reporter for the 'Kent Messenger'.
On 27th November, it finally came to rest on a mudbank at Aveley Marshes where it was
examined by experts and transported to the Institute of Zoology for an autopsy. The turtle
was male and measured over 2 metres from nose to tail with a weight of at least 250 kg
(blood loss had been considerable).
The Last of it's Race
Leathery Turtles are by far the largest of the sea turtles, differing in appearance from
other species, not only by their enormous size, but also by their shell or carapace which is
covered by a leathery skin and not fused to the ribs and back bone. They are the last
survivors of an ancient race which have roamed the seas since the time of the dinosaurs,
over 140 million years ago. In this time they have remained virtually unchanged. Only in
recent years has their survival been threatened by the activities of Mankind.
The Leatheiy Turtle is normally a creature of warm tropical seas including the Pacific,
Atlantic and Indian Oceans, but adults in the Caribbean frequently follow the Gulf Stream
northwards during the summer months, feeding on their preferred food, jellyfish. As
turtles are rarely seen at sea, this migration was once thought to be unusual, but there is
increasing evidence that Leathery Turtles regularly feed off British coasts, especially
western shores. They have even been recorded off Iceland and Norway. In 1988 no less
than 24 Leathery Turtles were see around British coasts and 9 were found stranded dead.
Among them was the world's largest and heaviest turtle which measured 219 cm and
weighed 916kg. It is preserved in Cardiff Museum.
Roger Payne
A CELEBRATION OF MOTHS
The Essex Moth Group's second annual meeting
The Essex Moth Group goes from strength to strength. Its second annual meeting at
Horsley Cross hosted by Tendring Hundred Water Services was a day brimming over with
interest and enthusiasm, with a series of interesting talks and wide-ranging discussions,
attended by 54 people including the most prominent lepidopterists in the county. Amongst
these were Lt. Col. Maitland Emmet, Ben Fisher (discoverer of Fisher's Estuarine Moth),
Bob Dewick, Don Down and Peter Smith. Visiting county recorders included Colin Plant
(also recent President of the Field Club), Tony Prichard, Jon Nichols and John Dawson
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 29, May 1999