Rare sea turtle Rossi to be flown from Wales to Gulf of Mexico
A rare Kemp's Ridley sea turtle named Rossi will be transported from Wales to the Gulf of Mexico as part of a conservation effort to return the species to its natural habitat.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A rare Kemp's ridley sea turtle named Rossi is being flown from Wales to the Gulf of Mexico, returning to his natural habitat after more than two years of rehabilitation. The turtle, one of the most endangered species in the world, was found cold stunned on a beach in Anglesey, North Wales, in December 2023 by a dog walker. He was taken to Anglesey Sea Zoo, where staff developed a careful revival technique, raising his body temperature by one degree per day. Over the past two years, Rossi has grown from under a kilogram and 25 centimetres in length to more than 20 kilograms and 77 centimetres long.
The journey home began with a helicopter ride from Wales to Buckinghamshire, where he was transferred to a temperature controlled crate. From there, he was driven to Heathrow Airport and placed on a transatlantic flight to Houston, Texas. After arriving in the United States, he will be taken to the coast and released into the Gulf of Mexico, with staff from the organisations involved watching as he re-enters the water. The entire trip covers roughly 5,000 miles.
Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the smallest sea turtle species, with only 7,000 to 8,000 breeding females left in the world. They are primarily found in the Gulf of Mexico, but some get caught in the Gulf Stream and are carried across the Atlantic. When they encounter cold water from the North Sea, they become cold stunned and wash up on British shores. The Anglesey Sea Zoo has now revived four turtles from this condition, and Rossi is the latest success story.
Preparations for the flight included applying Vaseline and KY jelly to Rossi's eyes and nostrils to prevent dehydration. The helicopter pilot, who had visited the zoo with his children, offered his services after learning about the turtle's need for a fast transfer. The zoo staff described the journey as emotional, but expressed joy that Rossi will finally have his freedom. Once released, it is hoped he will breed and help sustain the species.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rossi was found near Rossinia Beach in December 2023. | · | ||
| The turtle will be transported by helicopter and flight to Houston, then released into the sea. | · | ||
| Five rare African secretary bird chicks hatched at Chester Zoo, the first time the species has bred there in its 95-year history; the birds are known for killing venomous snakes by stamping on them. | · | · | |
| Kemp's Ridley is one of the most endangered sea turtles, with 7,000 to 8,000 breeding females left. | · | · | |
| Rossi's revival process involves raising its body temperature by one degree per day. | · | · | |
| Two giant tortoises traveled over 200 miles for CT scans using scanners normally reserved for horses; one tortoise was found to have osteoarthritis. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This channel did not cover the sea turtle story at all. Its lunchtime news focused on a SpaceX rocket crashing into the moon and the hatching of secretary bird chicks at Chester Zoo. No mention was made of Rossi or the turtle's journey.
ITV1's coverage, across both lunchtime and evening bulletins, focused on the emotional and human interest side of the story. It highlighted the journey's logistics, the care given by zoo staff, and the personal connection of those involved, including the helicopter pilot. The reporting was warm and detailed, with interviews and on-the-ground footage.
- “It is a really emotional journey, yes. It's been a long time coming, and it's fantastic that this turtle is finally on his way back to freedom in the wild.”
- “We've got Vaseline. So, Vaseline is really important to prevent dehydration. KY jelly, as well, over his eyes and those parts of his nostrils.”
- “He weighed just under a kilogram, and he was about 25 centimetres long. As you can see now, so he's now about 77 centimetres long in body length, and he weighs over 20 kilos.”
BBC ONE West's coverage was more factual and conservation-focused. It explained the science behind cold stunning, the rehabilitation technique, and the species' endangered status. The report was concise and informative, with less emotional framing than ITV's, but still included the key details of the journey and the turtle's recovery.
- “We've got a change in the weather patterns, a lot more of these very violent storms much earlier in the season. And turtles being carried in the Gulf Stream, this nice warm current, and then they'll get hit by a wall of cold water, usually coming down from the North Sea and they go into a coma.”
- “We're getting these cold stranded turtles turning up on the beaches that appear to be dead, but often they're not dead. And with the right techniques, which we've developed here, very, very gradual techniques of reviving them by one degree a day, then you can actually get these turtles to the stage of recovery where they can be re-released.”
- “Rossi is a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle, the smallest type of sea turtle and with only seven or 8,000 breeding females left in the world, one of the most endangered.”
Broadcast Timeline
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