.png)
+44 (0) 7508 801 099
.png)
info@wildlifevetsinternational.org
.png)
.png)
We want to ensure that those people who find, rescue and rehabilitate cold- stunned turtles washing up on British beaches have the knowledge that they need to deal with these very sick animals.
We will achieve this by developing guidance for vets and rehabilitators, together with an events programme that will be delivered to coastal communities, including aquarium staff, volunteers and local wildlife veterinary professionals.
Sea turtles are vital to healthy ocean ecosystems but face ever increasing threats Hard-shelled species such as loggerhead turtles are not typically found in UK waters but are increasingly being pushed beyond their normal range by changing ocean currents thought to be linked to climate change.
When temperatures drop below 10°C sea turtles are particularly vulnerable to ‘cold-stunning’ – where becoming lethargic, they drift ashore and risk death, in the absence of rapid intervention. As a result, strandings in UK waters and on beaches across the country are rising (40 in 2025 vs 12 in 2022).
Success means more cold-stunned juveniles surviving and returning to the wild, because stranded turtles found on UK beaches reach expert care quickly and consistently. One call to the National Stranding Helpline or the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) triggers a coordinated response.
Trained volunteers give correct first aid while the National Coordinator places the animal with an aquarium equipped to receive it, and larger facilities complete rehabilitation and repatriation. Supported by WVI's best practice guidelines and learning events, responders around the coast have the confidence and skills to act — making stranding response sustainable for years to come.
WVI brings veterinary expertise to the national rescue network. We work with the Marine Rescue Coordinator for England and Wales, aquariums and stranding volunteers to turn scattered good practice into shared standards.
Our veterinary professionals help set protocols for handling, rehabilitation and release, so decisions rest on clinical evidence rather than improvisation. We then help train frontline responders in coastal communities to use them. The result is one connected system, from the beach to the water.
WVI is a British charity which has been ensuring critical veterinary support for international wildlife and conservation projects since 2004.
We are a small organisation with minimal administrative costs but access to top quality wildlife veterinary expertise across a wide range of different species.
Sign up to get the latest WVI news about our conservation work and how you can help us delivered straight to your inbox.
Click here to read our privacy notice
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
