Man on turtle rescue mission up for BBC award

10 hours ago

Patrick BarlowSouth East

A Brighton project which rescues turtles is "a tiny cog in the great wheel of rescue", its creator says

Sea Life Brighton A loggerhead turtle with a green shell, green-brown spots on its head and a yellow beak. He is swimming in a round, white pool with some rocks on the bottom. — A Brighton project which rescues turtles is "a tiny cog in the great wheel of rescue", its creator says

An aquarium curator who set up a project helping to rescue turtles washed up in the UK and return them to their homes says the work is "a tiny cog" in the wider rescue work done for the species.

Joe Williams, who works at the Sea Life centre in Brighton, created the first purpose-built rehabilitation and repatriation centre for sea turtles in the UK to nurse the animals back to health so they can be released into the wild.

Williams has now been nominated for a BBC Make A Difference Award, making a shortlist of four out of over 100 nominations.

He said turtles are "such lovely creatures".

Williams added: "It's so disappointing to see year on year how things are changing for them. It is all the result of humans.

"Although what we are doing is lovely, its a tiny cog in the great wheel of rescue."

Williams, who set up the sea turtle rehabilitation and repatriation centre, helps to look after turtles who wash up on UK shores because of storms, and nurse them back to full health so they can be released.

Joe Williams, curator of Sea Life Brighton, has been nominated for a BBC Make A Difference Award

Sea Life Brighton A man in a dark blue quarter zip jacket with SEA LIFE embroidered on the front. — Joe Williams, curator of Sea Life Brighton, has been nominated for a BBC Make A Difference Award

He said the work includes making sure the turtles are eating well before preparing them for release back into the sea.

The team mimic waves to ensure the turtles' muscles are strong enough, and feed them in different ways so that they get used to foraging for food.

In 2025, Loggerhead Turtle Barnacle Bill, who washed up in Guernsey during Storm Ciaran in 2023, was released into the Azores after being cared for at the centre since 2024.

Williams has been nominated in the animal category of the Sussex and Surrey Make A Difference Awards.

An awards ceremony will be held on 22 September at The Chequer Mead Theatre in East Grinstead, when an overall winner will be announced.

Deva Edge, Display Supervisor at Sea Life Brighton, said: "When the turtles arrive they are very thin and dehydrated. It's a death sentence for them so we are giving them their whole lives back.

"Joe is a wonderful and inspiring boss, so him being nominated for this award is really a testament to his passion and hard work."

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.