Aer Lingus will transport Leona, the loggerhead turtle, to Gran Canaria today, 2^nd December. It is just over one year since the turtle was found on the beach at Quilty, Co Clare. Since then the turtle has been rehabilitated at the Galway Atlantiquarium and is now fully recovered and ready to return to the sea.

Aer Lingus flight EI 782 departs Dublin for Las Palmas, Gran Canaria at 14.10. The turtle will receive her own boarding pass and be transported in a custom made lined crate that will be secured in two seats in the main cabin. Leona will be accompanied by Galway county vet Rita Gately and aquarist Joanne Casserley. The lid of the crate will be removable to allow monitoring of the turtle’s wellbeing during the flight.

Leona will be cared for in a sanctuary in Gran Canaria until her release into the wild which is expected to happen in the coming days. When she is released she will have a GPS tracking device attached to her so that the aquarium and Leona’s many fans can track her progress.

Aer Lingus Director of Communications, Declan Kearney said, “When we were approached by the County Veterinary Officer to assist with the transportation of Leona we had no hesitation in agreeing. Albeit Leona is one of our more unusual passengers, we are delighted to facilitate her return to her natural habitat. We will continue to follow Leona’s story and hope her path back to warmer waters is as smooth as her trip on flight EI 782 today.”