Barnacle Bill could 'make short stop in Brighton'

GSPCA said staff held a meeting with Sea Life in Brighton about relocating Barnacle Bill

A loggerhead turtle from Guernsey may be moved to Brighton in the UK until she can be found a home in warmer waters, an animal charity says.

The turtle, called Barnacle Bill, was rescued by the GSPCA in November 2023, but has lived in the shelter due to issues with CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species] paperwork, which prevented her from being moved to European territories such as Gran Canaria.

The GSPCA said staff held a meeting with Sea Life in Brighton about temporarily moving the turtle to England.

GSPCA manager Steve Byrne said he hoped Barnacle Bill, so named by her rescuers because she was covered in barnacles, will "be back in the water before Christmas".

The loggerhead turtle has been moved to a bigger enclosure, after growing to 18 inches long in the GSPCA's care

Mr Byrne said the charity had "bypassed" the idea of moving Bill directly to a warmer climate, as it was challenging to arrange direct transport from Guernsey.

As loggerhead turtles are classed as vulnerable by the WWF [World Wide Fund for Nature], the paperwork required to transport Bill to another country would take a minimum of two to three months to complete.

Mr Byrne explained that Brighton could be a "short stop" for her to live until a naval ship was available to transport her.

He added that the Royal Navy had effectively rehomed another turtle a few weeks ago and a similar plan could get Bill back into the wild sooner.