Turtles on runway delay New York flights

In the past, we have written about emus, rabbits and wild pigs running across runways but Reuters has recently reported that turtles crossing the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York have delayed flights.

Apparently, the turtles were crossing the runway in order to lay their eggs on the sandy shores of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge bordering the airport. Moreover, it wasn’t just one turtle crossing the runway but a whole herd (?) of 150 diamondback terrapin turtles that were spotted on JFK’s Runway 4L.

Fortunately for passengers, the initial flight delays caused by the turtles were minor and amounted to roughly 15 minutes. However, the turtles kept coming and hence, aircraft were directed to use other runways.