136 baby turtles hatch on Murcia beaches this summer

Two protected loggerhead turtle nests in La Manga and Calblanque have produced 136 live hatchlings, with dozens released into the sea and 57 now entering a conservation programme

A total of 136 baby loggerhead turtles have been successfully recovered from two nests on Murcia's beaches this summer, with dozens already released into the Mediterranean.

The nests were found in La Manga and the Calblanque Regional Park, with teams closely monitoring them throughout the incubation period. Most of the hatchlings have now made their way into the Mediterranean, while 57 have been taken into a conservation programme to give them a little extra time to grow before being released.

The first nest was discovered in La Manga on July 2, when a loggerhead turtle came ashore and laid 75 eggs. Seventy of the eggs were left in the protected nest, while five were transferred to the El Valle Wildlife Recovery Centre, where they are being kept in an incubator as part of the conservation protocol.

The first 64 baby turtles emerged from the La Manga nest on August 23. Two more followed three days later, and another three live hatchlings were found when the nest was excavated on August 26. That brought the total from the nest to 69 live turtles. Of these, 43 were released directly from the beach, while the remaining 26 have joined the head-starting programme at El Valle.

The second nest was found on July 8 at Déntoles beach in Calblanque. This one was even larger, containing 92 eggs. Eighty-four remained in the protected nest, while eight were transferred to the El Valle centre. Those eight have yet to hatch and are continuing to be monitored in the incubator.

The first 12 turtles from the Calblanque nest emerged on August 22, followed by 28 the next day. Nine more hatched on August 24 and another seven on August 25. A further 11 live turtles were recovered before the nest was excavated on August 26, bringing the number of live hatchlings from the second nest to 67. Thirty-six have already been released, while 31 will initially remain at El Valle as part of the head-starting programme.

Protecting Murcia's loggerhead turtles

Getting a turtle nest from the sand to the sea is far from easy. The nests have to be watched, protected and monitored for weeks, with teams keeping an eye on temperatures and possible threats.

Environment councillor Juan María Vázquez said the results show that Murcia has particularly favourable conditions for loggerhead turtles to nest, but also pointed out the work that goes into protecting each nest.

Each nest means weeks of surveillance, temperature monitoring, protection against possible threats and constant coordination between technicians, environmental officers and volunteers. Releasing hatchlings directly from the beach is a normal part of turtle conservation. It allows them to begin their lives in natural conditions and make their own way towards the sea after emerging from the protected nest.

The Region of Murcia has used the approach for several seasons, while similar conservation work is also carried out elsewhere along Spain's Mediterranean coast.

Images: CARM