DID you know that the world’s largest turtle was discovered washed ashore on Harlech beach?

The leatherback turtle washed up in September 1988, and the fascinating story can be found on the National Museum Wales website.

“Sadly, the turtle had drowned after being trapped by fishing lines,” the account explains.

“It was approximately 100 years old when it died. The turtle attracted worldwide attention as it was the largest and heaviest turtle ever recorded, measuring almost 3m (9ft) in length and weighing 914 kilos (2,016 pounds).

“The turtle’s arrival on the beach saw a flurry of activity by museum staff who were keen to exhibit the turtle. However, preparing such a specimen for display was not straight forward.

“The turtle had to be flipped upside down before repairing cracks on the underside.

“After undergoing an autopsy for scientific information, the skin was removed and preserved and a mould of the body shape was made. The preserved skin was stretched over the mould to produce a life-like pose.

“The skeleton was also removed and prepared for display alongside the body. The taxidermy mount and associated skeleton were then put on display in their own gallery, with linking displays on the leatherback’s history, threats, ecology and conservation.

“After 16 years on display, significant cracks had started to appear on the specimen. There had long been problems with cracking, and it had been patched up over the years. Low humidity was identified as a cause, so there was no choice but to close the gallery and conserve this popular specimen properly.

See this week’s north editions for the full story, in shops and online on Thursday