Turtle alarm on Sylt: global warming brings exotic to the coast!

Turtle alarm on Sylt: global warming brings exotic to the coast!

In the past few months, several fabricate turtles have been washed on Sylt and Amrum. Two of these animals survived while not everyone could be saved. These turtles come from warmer waters such as the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Pacific or Indian Ocean. Experts suspect that global warming has increased the distribution area of the turtles, and it is known that the animals swim through the oceans thousands of kilometers. A turtle covered a distance of 14,500 kilometers in 1996. Sea turtles have a magnetic map in your head that enables you to always find your place of birth.

The two turtles were brought to the Sylt Aquarium in December 2024 and January 2025. A turtle received an antibiotic to treat pneumonia, while both animals were heavily hypotherized and weakened, which could not make them move themselves. One turtle has recovered well, but the other recovered more slowly. The Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) examines the animals that can become up to 1.20 meters tall and weigh up to 200 kilograms. After their recovery, the turtles are to be brought to La Rochelle in France in the summer, where they recover from the trip before they are released into the Atlantic. While driving, the animals are transported in boxes without water and moistened every two hours.

rescue and challenges

The fake karetto tortoises are threatened with extinction, which is caused, among other things, by hunting, egg abolition and fishing. In addition, many animals get tangled in fishing nets and die of plastic waste. Another outstanding incident occurred on December 24th when holidaymakers discovered a turtle on the beach of Sylt near Rantum in bad condition. The Flensburg police, Schleswig-Flensburg and North Friesland police also identified the turtle as a fake karette tortoise. It remains unclear how the animals get into the North Sea, since they are usually native to moderate and subtropical ocean regions and in the Mediterranean. The current water temperature in the North Sea is only 6 degrees Celsius, which is hostile to the turtles. Police officers transported the injured turtle to the Sylt aquarium for care.

A young fake karett tortoise was found in Belgium at the end of November 2023, which is the first evidence of this kind. Walkers in Schleswig-Holstein are asked to inform the seal hunters at finds of turtles. Living turtles are brought to the Sylt aquarium, while dead animals are frozen and the ITAW are handed over, such as nd.de reported. Also moin.de emphasizes that the false karetta shield from the World Nature Protection Union is classified as "endangered", and it remains unclear how these animals get into the North Sea.