An NGO has warned it was running out of tanks to hold rescued turtles as a large loggerhead turtle was picked up after it was spotted in distress floating below a cliff in Xgħajra on Thursday morning.

The eight-year-old female loggerhead was found stuck and unable to swim because it became entangled in debris.

"She was being moved by the tide, but could not swim off properly," Nature Trust CEO Vince Attard said.

The rescue was carried out by the Armed Forces of Malta, in collaboration with Nature Trust.

The turtle will now need to be operated on since it ingested some of the fishing net it became entangled in, he added.

Our centre cannot keep up with the number of turtles being found

Marine debris, including plastic, ropes, and fishing nets were found around the mammal.

The rescue posed a challenge because the turtle was not reachable by those on site, Mr Attard said, sparking the AFM to provide assistance.

Mr Attard warned that turtles may not always be rescued on site.

Well-meaning people sometimes try to remove debris themselves, but plastic could be fatal if removed without a proper veterinary procedure, he warned.

The number of turtles dying from ingesting plastic-related litter was on the rise, Mr Attard said.

Plastics have killed 20 turtles this year alone, with another 40 being found injured. 

"Our centre cannot keep up with the number of turtles being found and we are running out of tanks to store them in," he added.

Turtles often consume plastic bags after mistaking them for jellyfish, their favourite food.