Tropical sea turtle found washed up on Fleetwood beach

Coastguards have rescued a sea turtle found washed up on a beach.

The reptile, found on Fleetwood beach, in Lancashire, was then taken to specialist staff at Blackpool Sea Life Centre, who are currently looking after it until it can be released.

A spokesperson from the coastguard said: "We look forward to hearing about its progress and are hopeful for it's safe release."

There are seven different species of sea turtles, which spend most of their lives in the ocean.

The charity SEE Turtles says that leatherbacks and loggerheads can travel thousands of miles each year, greens and olive ridleys have shorter migrations, while hawksbills rarely leave a relatively small area.

Species tend to nest on tropical and subtropical beaches but often migrate across entire oceans to feed.

Juvenile turtles like the one found in Fleetwood, tend to spend their first few years in open oceans before eventually moving to protected bays, estuaries and other nearshore waters as adults.