Portsmouth Royal Navy sailors help save Caribbean turtles

A turtle nesting site in the Caribbean that was littered with plastic has been cleared by Royal Navy sailors.

Crew on Portsmouth-based HMS Dauntless picked up more than 200kg (440.9lb) of rubbish from the beach in Curaçao.

The vessel was originally deployed to stop drug smugglers and provide aid to the area during hurricane season.

But the British sailors volunteered their time during a logistics stop on the island, to prevent the animals becoming tangled in the plastic.

Sea turtles often mistake plastic debris for food, leading to internal injuries that can prove fatal

The 50 sailors worked with Sea Turtle Conservation Curaçao to rid the beach of items like discarded plastic fishing nets that had washed up on the shore, as well as carrying out medical checks on the turtles.

More than 171 trillion pieces of plastic are now estimated to be floating in the world's oceans, according to scientists.

Plastic can kill turtles and other marine animals and takes hundreds of years to break down into less harmful materials.

Turtle nesting beaches provide a safe haven for the animals' eggs and hatchlings

Megan Page, able seaman from the Royal Navy's Hydrography and Meteorology Branch, was among the crew volunteering on the Dutch island.

She said it was crucial to work with local organisations to understand the challenges faced by marine life.

"The environment is very important to the Royal Navy," she added.

The beach clean formed part of an environmental drive called the One Tonne Challenge

The Type 45 destroyer was patrolling the Caribbean sea with the US Coast Guard in a bid to counter the area's narcotics trade.

The crew were also providing support to British Overseas Territories during hurricane season, which takes place between June and November.

The crew from HMS Dauntless volunteered their own personal time to clear the beach

Ard Vreugdenhil, the field co-ordinator for Sea Turtle Conservation Curaçao, said he wanted to encourage people to look after the planet's wildlife.

He said: "Nature deserves our helping hand and we have to reconnect with the world we are living in.

"Together we are the example for others and have the power needed to make a difference."

After leaving the island, HMS Dauntless continued patrols in the region to combat the area's drug trade