A photograph taken by an Irish marine biologist will feature in a new set of stamps from the US Post Office celebrating sea turtles.

As the Irish Independent reports, Rowan Byrne snapped his picture some 18 years ago while working on a marine wildlife conservation project in the Caribbean.

And now people across the United States posting letters or parcels will have the chance to see his photograph of a young leatherback sea turtle in a set of stamps whose theme was chosen as part of an online ‘Stamp Showdown’.

Byrne, from Sutton in north Co Dublin, said it was a “great honour” for his image to be chosen as part of the Protect Sea Turtles set, which aims to raise awareness of various endangered sea turtle species.

The Irish Independent has more on the story HERE.

#MarineWildlife - Seaside visitors are being asked to look out for turtles washed up on the shore after a rare example of the world's smallest sea turtle was discovered in Donegal over Christmas.

According to the Irish Independent, the body of the foot-long Kemp's ridley turtle – declared by National Geographic to be the most endangered sea turtle species on earth – was found on the rocks at popular surfing spot Rossnowlagh beach on Christmas Day.

It turned out to be one of four such turtles discovered in the British Isles in just the last few weeks – far from their usual, much warmer climes in the Gulf of Mexico.

And they're not the only marine wildlife to look out for, as photographer David Comerford tells TheJournal.ie about a stranded seal pup he found at the Sutton end of Bull Island last night.

The little seal "appeared to be in good health" though it has "a clear injury to one of its flippers". The Irish Seal Sanctuary has been notified and is co-ordinating a response with local vets.

Update: The Irish Times has video of the seal pup returning to the sea as the tide came in.