Lorraine Williamson
Forty-nine juvenile loggerhead sea turtles, or fat-species turtles (Caretta caretta) that were born in Marbella last year, have been released back to the sea amid great interest. It happened on the Levante beach in Puerto Banús, Marbella. Good news, because these vulnerable sea turtles are threatened by various causes.
The eggs were laid last July 2023 on El Rodeíto beach. A man walking his dog noticed the eggs and alerted 112. From that moment on, a complete protection plan for the turtles was drawn up. And now, twelve months later, that has paid off with the return of the animals to the sea. Both the municipality of Marbella and the Junta de Andalucía and the Produnas association guaranteed the success of the whole process.
A lot of interest from the public
With great interest from local residents and tourists, ten turtles were first released. They were equipped with radio marking equipment for later monitoring, followed by the others without such a system. This is a technical measure that allows the movements of these turtles to be monitored and studied in detail.
Awareness
An important bycatch is the public awareness of the importance of restoring these types of specimens that reach the coast. Several authorities appeal to the responsibility of citizens to call 112 if the animals are sighted. In this way, the beach can become a safe place for these species to reproduce.
Special surveillance for loggerhead sea turtle
In Marbella, of the 69 eggs laid by a sea turtle on El Rodeíto beach in Marbella last summer, nearly a dozen were transferred to Biparc Fuengirola for artificial incubation. The rest were left on the beach. Of those, nearly fifty came out. To ensure a good outcome, the nest was guarded for 50 days. This was done by, among others, environmental officers and volunteers from the Produnas Association.
Sea turtles spread across different centres
After the hatchlings hatched, they were transferred to various facilities. Such as the Centre for Marine Environment Studies and Management (CEGMA) in Algeciras. There, the sea turtles began their growth until they were one kilogram. They were then released into an area adjacent to where they were born, as happened in Puerto Banús. “This is a great achievement for the life cycle of these species and for the preservation of our marine biodiversity,” stressed José Antonio Víquez, the Territorial Delegate for Environment of the Junta de Andalucía in Málaga.
First year of life to gain weight
The turtles are cared for during their first year of life until they have the weight that significantly reduces their natural mortality rate. “This effort is aimed at increasing their chances of survival and ensuring that when they reach adulthood, they return to our shores to lay their eggs,” Viquez said.
Also read: Climate change is bringing more turtles to Costa Blanca