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Blue Planet Live viewers left in shock after seagull swoops to eat baby turtle on live television

Viewers of BBC One nature programme Blue Planet Live were left in shock on Sunday night after a seagull appeared to eat a baby turtle on live television.

Presenter Liz Bonnin was helping a group of hatchling turtles make it from a beach into the sea around Australia’s Heron Island when millions of viewers saw the seagull swoop.

It appeared to walk away with one of the baby turtles in its beak.

Blue Planet Live presenter Liz Bonnin was releasing baby turtles into the sea (Picture: BBC)
Blue Planet Live presenter Liz Bonnin was releasing baby turtles into the sea (Picture: BBC)

Viewers took to social media to express their horror at what had happened.

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Ms Bonnin said: “We’ve watched them come up to the sands of Heron to nest and we’ve also had the great privilege of watching precious new lives, little hatchings emerging from nests and making it in the big blue.”

The seagull was spotted in the background (Picture: BBC)
The seagull was spotted in the background (Picture: BBC)
Viewers were horrified as the seagull grabbed the turtle in its beak (Picture: BBC)
Viewers were horrified as the seagull grabbed the turtle in its beak (Picture: BBC)

A bucket of baby turtles was then emptied on to the shore in the hope the animals would scuttle into the sea.

“They’re going to spend hundreds of years in our oceans if all goes well,” said Ms Bonnin.

But then the seagull struck, grabbing one of the turtles in its beak and then disappeared from view.

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