Beach-goers in Ceredigion have been called on to look out for 'world’s most endangered' sea turtles ‘who need our help’.

Borth and Penparcau residents have echoed alerts from wildlife protection organisation Marine Environmental Monitoring on social media.

It has called for people on Welsh coastlines to report seeing any turtles immediately as they could be in a race against time to survive due to the colder temperatures than in their natural habitat.

A spokesperson warned people 'it is really important’ not to put them back in the water because they will die.

Last week, a Kemp’s Ridley turtle turned up on Marros Sands, Carmarthenshire, and a loggerhead turtle was also found on Moel-Y-Don beach on the Isle of Anglesey.

The former, the smallest of all sea turtles, is considered by some the world’s most endangered turtle and is native to the scorching waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Sadly, it died shortly after it was found.

Loggerheads are the largest of all hard-shelled sea turtles and are commonly found in warmer Mediterranean seas.

A Marine Environmental Monitoring spokesperson said: “We need your help by keeping a look out for sea turtles around our coastline as there are going to be some that need our help.

“With the new year comes new strandings and with the different winter storms we have been seeing around the world we are getting out of habitat marine turtles turn up on our shores.

“Both turtles (found last week) were juveniles and nowhere near fully grown with the loggerhead smaller than the Kemp’s ridley which was only 33cm long.

“Both turtles would normally live in warmer waters but would have been blown off course by a storm.

“Once in colder waters they suffer from cold shock and their bodies shut down.

“They would have then been carried by the currents and winds until eventually washing ashore on the Welsh coastline.

“We normally find that we get a number of turtles turn up around the same time as they get blown off course together.

“Due to this we want people to keep an eye out for marine turtles as they walk our shoreline in the coming days and weeks as there will be more out there.

“The loggerhead turtle, which has a great range of habitat is currently receiving specialist care, but it is hoped that it will make a full recovery and be able to be released back into warmer waters in the near future.

“It is important that if you come across a marine turtle on a beach, you report it straight away, and do not put it back in the water. Due to the cold shock, they can appear dead but regularly are not and just need specialist care.”

If you see one, please contact Marine Environmental Monitoring on 0800 6520333, or RSPCA or the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) on 01825 765546.