Family who found world's rarest turtle on Talacre beach say goodbye

In November 2021, Samantha James, her partner, Ash and their son, Gethin, made the remarkable discovery of a Kemp's Ridley sea turtle washed up and still alive on Talacre beach. 

Tally was found on Talacre beach (Image: Submitted)

The juvenile turtle was some 4,700 miles away from its home in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Kemp Ridley is the rarest species of its kind on the planet - and Anglesey Sea Zoo took in the young turtle in the hope of saving its life. 

The aquarium provided the turtle, named Tally after the beach it was found on, with round the clock care. 

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Thankfully, it paid off - and two years down the line Tally is now healthy enough to return to the wild. 

She has been transported by the RAF to London Heathrow Airport - where she will then fly to America before being released back into the ocean. 

Samantha was invited to Anglesey Sea Zoo to say goodbye to Tally before her journey.

Samantha's family were able to say goodbye to Tally. (Image: User generated content)

She said: "As a family we are really happy for Tally to be given this opportunity to continue her life where she belongs. Knowing she will have her freedom and be placed in waters with her fellow Kemps Ridley turtles is incredible. She’s been a little fighter and we hope to track her whereabouts with Anglesey Zoo in the future.

"It was so lovely to be able to say goodbye. She has grown so much since we first found her on Talacre beach, and has still yet to get to her full size.

"Me, Ash and the kids are very lucky to have had these moments. Thank you to everyone at Anglesey Sea Zoo who gave Tally the chance to survive, I’m sure she will be missed."

Tally departs RAF Valley on Anglesey (Image: RAF Valley)