It's a turtle mystery! Sea creature never seen before on UK shores

A rare turtle discovered on a Welsh beach is the first of its kind ever to be found in Britain - and it's a mystery how it got here.

The female turtle has been identified as an Olive Ridley usually found swimming in the warmer waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The species has never before been found in the UK before it washed up on a chilly Welsh beach.

The turtle - named Menai - is being warmed up by vets at a specialist sea zoo close to where it was found on Tan-Y-Foel beach, Angelsey.

A spokeswoman for Angelsey Sea Zoo said: "Since records began there's never been an Olive ridley found in Britain so we're incredibly excited.

"They are usually found on the other side of the world so she is a long way from home.

"Our job now is to slowly raise her temperature and hopefully she'll continue to improve and we can return her to where she's come from."

Olive ridley turtles are usually found in the tropical waters with temperatures of 25-30C and experts say the water temperatures around north Wales would be closer to 8C at this time of year.

The spokeswoman added: "It is most likely that the turtle has lost her way on her journey through these warmer seas, possibly due to recent strong wind and currents, as sea turtles are known to travel vast distances.

"The cold and windy weather here is unsustainable for such species of turtles to survive, and it is lucky that Menai was found alive, as many of the tropical turtles washed up around the UK are found dead."