Cowabunga! Teenage Turtle In Lough

Ferry passengers and one of the divers working on the installation of a powerful turbine in the fast flowing waters of Strangford Lough and, separately, a Strangford fisherman, have each been delighted after a close encounter with a young, six-foot-long leatherback turtle.

Andy Elliot hooked the massive sea creature, not usually seen in UK and Irish waters until much later in the year, while out in his kayak on Sunday.

He explained that he was heading back to Portaferry on Sunday after a day's fly-fishing when he hooked "something huge" from his special angling sea kayak.

"I looked at my fish finder and could see that the seabed was sandy and there were no boulders or seaweed that I could have caught my line on," he said.

"After a few minutes, a large shape surfaced around 100 metres from my kayak. As I reeled in my line, I pulled myself towards the object with some trepidation.

"I gradually realised I had hooked a huge turtle! I couldn't believe my eyes - it was almost two metres in length."

The turtle was unhurt: "I then spent around an hour paddling alongside this most incredible creature. It was a very special experience," he said.

Experts believe the leatherback may have ended up in Strangford after being blown off course during the recent stormy weather.

Andy's sighting was followed up the next day when it was spotted close to Portaferry marina by ferry passengers.

It was also seen by the diver who was returning after working on Strangford Lough's revolutionary hydro-electric plant, and later told BBC Radio Ulster listeners about his experience, which he described as 'fascinating'.

Tania Singleton of Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry said: "Five of the world's seven species of marine turtle have been recorded in UK and Irish waters, with two species, the leatherback and loggerhead turtles recorded off the Northern Ireland coast.

"Leatherbacks lay their eggs on tropical beaches but migrate thousands of miles to cooler waters in pursuit of their favourite food - jellyfish. Although rare, the leatherback makes regular visits to our coast - though sightings at this time of year are exceptional as jellyfish are not abundant. "

The leatherback turtle is the largest of the turtle species. It can reach a total length of about 1.8m (6ft) and a weight of about 540kg (1,200lb) - so this one is probably only a teenager.

Gary Burrows from the Environment and Heritage Service said that there have been 36 recorded sightings of turtles since 2006, 90% of which were leatherbacks.

(BMcC)