Cumbria Wildlife Trust was excited to announce that they were celebrating the return of the county's distant visitors.

Leatherback turtles, which make the long journey from their breeding grounds in South America to feed on jellyfish in the Irish Sea, returned to the Cumbrian coast in recent weeks.

The turtles have been seen in various locations up and down the Cumbrian coast, including in the Solway and off St Bees Head.

"They are incredible creatures and giants of the sea turtle world, growing to over 2m in length and living for 50 years or more," said Senior Marine Officer, Emily Baxter.

"They are the only sea turtles that are able to cope with the colder UK seas and they can dive up to 1,000m below the sea surface in search of their food.

"They are more likely to be spotted a few miles offshore (rather than from the coast) as they feed on jellyfish blooms in open water."

The name 'Leatherback' comes from the nature of the animals' shell, which is leathery instead of hard as with other species of turtle.

Although their diets may sound strange, their way of eating is said to sound even stranger.

Emily added: "They have an incredible (and slightly gruesome) way of making sure they never lose a meal – they have downward facing spines inside their throat that stops slippery jellyfish from sliding back out."

Leatherback turtles are the largest species of sea turtle and one of the most migratory.

Although their distribution is wide, the species is under increasing threat due to intense egg collection and unsustainable methods of fishing.

Emily said: "Sadly, many populations of leatherbacks are struggling, and the species is considered at risk of extinction.

"Sometimes they mistake plastic bags and other litter for jellyfish, which obviously can have devastating consequences.

"Collectively, we need to do more to stem the tide of plastic pollution, to ensure our oceans are clean and healthy, benefitting both wildlife and the climate.”

The RSPCA recently published statistics revealing that in Cumbria, 257 calls were made about animals affected by litter were made in the past five years.

Of the 21,600 reports received across the country during this time period, 6,466 calls were made in relation to general litter - like tin cans, plastic bottles and elastic bands.

As lockdown restrictions continue to ease, the charity has been urging people to dispose of their litter responsibly.