There was a very special guest on the 6am flight from Cork to Gran Canaria this morning - 5 year old Loggerhead turtle Mara! Kevin Flannery from Dingle OceanWorld joined Mairead on the phone to tell her all about the star treatment Mara received as she made her way home.
Mara washed up on Dolan's Beach in Roundstone, Galway after Storm Lorenzo hit back in September. Thankfully, she was spotted by a very kind passerby who got her to a local vet. Mara was then transported to Dingle OceanWorld where Kevin and his team took excellent care of her.
Mara was fed, re-hydrated and put back in the tropical temperatures she's used to until she was fit and ready to make her way back to a specialized turtle hospital in Gran Canaria.
Ryanair sorted Mara out with a courtesy seat and even had a special VIP turtle check-in displayed for her arrival this morning! She arrived safely in Gran Canaria this morning and will now spend her teenage years back where she belongs.
This is the good news story we deserve on this dreary Monday!
You can hear the chat in full by pressing the play button on screen.