Have you have spotted more sea turtles along the Costa Blanca in recent years? Rising sea temperatures are nudging them northwards, and Dénia has decided to step in to protect its new seasonal visitors.
The town has announced an international partnership with Costa Rica’s National Parks Foundation, a global leader in sea turtle conservation. Officials will formally sign the agreement, known as the Turtle Alliance, on 10 March.
The deal links Dénia, where around ten nesting sites have been recorded since 2023, with Costa Rica’s Tortuguero National Park. The Park is home to the most important green turtle nesting beach in the western hemisphere.
Sandra Gertrúdix, Dénia’s councillor for ecological transition, said the project builds on years of local work to safeguard the marine environment.
The council already runs beach monitoring schemes and supports scientific research. It organises clean-up campaigns and works closely with universities and conservation groups.
The loggerhead turtle now sits at the centre of those efforts, as the species increasingly chooses the Valencian coast as a nesting ground.
The partnership will begin with a visit from a Costa Rican delegation from 9 to 11 March. During their stay, they will tour nesting beaches, meet conservation teams, visit the marine reserve and attend the release of a rehabilitated turtle back into the sea.
