The death of Caretta Caretta sea turtle Omiros, named after the ancient poet Homer, has been announced by volunteers at the rescue centre run by Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece.

The turtle was found at Mavrovouni beach, near the port town of Gytheio in the southern Peloponnese. He had a fishhook wound to one eye and damage to the other, which eventually left him blind in both, and his sight could not be restored. Staff at the rescue centre concluded it would not be safe to return him to the sea and that he needed a permanent, suitable home.

In 2010 he was flown from Athens to Heathrow in a specially built crate and taken to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay, where, according to Archelon, he lived for more than 16 years. Former Archelon volunteer Matthew Slater played a key role in the transfer and in settling him into his new home, the charity said.

Archelon said Omiros became a special “ambassador” for sea turtles at the aquarium, helping thousands of visitors learn about the species and the threats it faces in the wild.

The 1.5m reptile was described by the aquarists who cared for him as a “huge character”. Unable to see, Omiros was target-fed and found his way around the ocean tank by feeling its sides. Steve Matchett, the aquarium’s general manager and curator, said he had touched the lives of a vast number of people and that generations of visitors had grown up watching him swim through the tank.

“We warmly thank the Blue Reef Aquarium, Matthew Slater and everyone who cared for Omiros and gave him a safe home when a return to the wild was no longer possible,” Archelon said.

The loggerhead is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.