Of all the places to find a tropical sea turtle, a chilly Welsh beach takes some beating.

But that is where Rhossi’s extraordinary story began.

The young Kemp’s ridley turtle was discovered near Rhosneigr, on the Welsh island of Anglesey, in December 2023, after Meg, a dog out for a walk with her owner, sniffed him out on the beach.

He was in desperate shape.

Rhossi measured only about 25 cm and weighed less than 1 kg when rescued, according to Anglesey Sea Zoo. He was suffering from “cold stunning”, a dangerous condition that can leave sea turtles lethargic and unable to function after prolonged exposure to low temperatures.

Quite how a turtle associated with the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico came to wash up in Wales remains uncertain. His carers believe strong winds may have driven the youngster off course while he was in warmer waters.

What is certain is that Rhossi had parked himself a very long way from home.

More than two years of specialist care later, that accidental Welsh detour is finally coming to an end.

Rhossi has received his “fit to fly” certification and is preparing for a roughly 5,000-mile repatriation to Texas and, ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico.

And he has changed considerably since Meg found him.

The once tiny turtle now weighs about 21 kg and is approaching full size - a remarkable transformation for an animal whose rescuers initially did not know would survive.

Getting a 21kg sea turtle across the Atlantic, however, requires considerably more planning than checking in a suitcase.

The operation involves taking Rhossi by helicopter from Anglesey to London, with the flight provided courtesy of Ascona Group, followed by a road journey to Heathrow Airport. From there comes the long-haul flight to Houston and the onward journey towards the Gulf.

There is another complication: Rhossi is a marine animal who must make much of the trip out of water.

That has produced some unusual additions to the travel kit.

His carers must carefully manage his temperature and hydration and prevent his shell, skin and eyes from drying out. His shell is coated with petroleum jelly, while the more delicate areas around his eyes require something gentler: KY Jelly, a product better known for rather less zoological applications.

Rhossi will travel in a specially prepared, temperature-controlled crate, the product of an operation that has required extensive planning and international paperwork.

A rare turtle - especially in Cayman

Rhossi’s successful rehabilitation matters well beyond Anglesey.

Kemp’s ridleys are among the world’s rarest sea turtles, with their population centred on the Gulf of Mexico and their principal nesting grounds in Mexico and Texas.

They are also very different visitors from the turtles Cayman residents are accustomed to seeing.

Green and hawksbill turtles are familiar inhabitants of Cayman’s waters, while loggerheads are also recorded around the islands. A Kemp’s ridley, by contrast, would be an exceptionally unusual sight here.

That makes Rhossi’s appearance on a Welsh beach all the more extraordinary.

Anglesey Sea Zoo says only around 8,000 nesting female Kemp’s ridleys remain in the wild, making the return of a successfully rehabilitated animal to its natural habitat particularly significant.

Rhossi is the fourth sea turtle the zoo has rescued and rehabilitated over the past decade.

And, after more than two years in residence, the little turtle from the Gulf appears to have made quite an impression on his temporary island home.

Locals who have followed his recovery have been taking to social media to wish him well.

“We met when my little one was a few months old. Pob lwc ar dy daith Rhossi bach,” Elen Owen wrote.

The Welsh farewell translates as: “Good luck on your journey, dear little Rhossi.”

For the team that nursed him back from the brink, the goodbye will be more difficult still.

“Turtles belong in the wild, not in captivity, so it’s incredibly emotional because this is what we’ve been working towards for more than two years,” Anglesey Sea Zoo owner Frankie Hobro told the BBC.

Rhossi arrived on Anglesey barely alive. More than two years later, the objective is no longer keeping him alive on the Welsh island, but getting him safely off it - and back to the waters where he belongs.

There may even be another familiar face somewhere in his future.

The zoo previously rehabilitated Tally, a female Kemp’s ridley, and has playfully raised the prospect that the two former patients might one day encounter each other in the wild - and perhaps even contribute to another generation of their endangered species.

That part, of course, is up to Rhossi and Tally.

Follow Rhossi home

Rhossi’s journey from Wales to the Gulf of Mexico is expected to take place between August 10 and August 18, and supporters can follow his progress online.

The Polarsteps page will chart an extraordinary journey involving helicopter, road and transatlantic air travel as Rhossi makes his way from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

Anglesey Sea Zoo is also raising funds for a new dedicated turtle rescue and rehabilitation facility, which it hopes will allow it to expand its work caring for cold-stunned turtles found around the Welsh coast and returning them to the wild.

For now, there is a helicopter to board, an Atlantic to cross and the considerably warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico waiting at the other end.

Rhossi may be going home, but after more than two years on Anglesey he has already demonstrated a certain fondness for island life.

Admittedly, the Welsh island was not an obvious choice for a Kemp’s ridley.

Still, after an extended stay on one British island, perhaps Cayman should not entirely rule out a visit from its newest honorary islander.

If Rhossi ever gets the urge to emigrate again, the water here is warmer.

And nobody is likely to tell him: “You can’t park there, mate.”