Skipper 'couldn't believe his eyes'

An extremely unusual sighting was made in Manx waters recently.

A Leatherback sea turtle was spotted off the east coast of the Island, around six miles off Langness.

The creature has only been reported 28 times in the sea around the Isle of Man since 1748.

It was seen by the Skipper of the 'Coral Strand', Jack Lamont, who couldn't quite believe his eyes (play audio file):

The Fisheries Division of DEFA says it would welcome reports from anyone who has seen unusual species in Manx waters, such as sea turtles, sunfish and crawfish. The department is also interested in collecting any historic records.

Anybody with information is asked to ring Fiona Gell or Laura Henley at DEFA's Fisheries Division, on 685857 or 695738.