Fifteen young loggerhead turtles have been released into the Mediterranean from a Costa Blanca beach.
They spent almost a year being cared for at Valencia’s Oceanogràfic Foundation.
The turtles entered the sea for the first time at Denia’s Playa del Raset, watched by a large crowd gathered behind barriers for the special event.
The young turtles are the offspring of Diana, a loggerhead turtle that returned to Denia last summer and laid an extraordinary four nests along the town’s coastline.
A remarkable mother
Diana has become something of a local celebrity among conservationists.
Each nest typically contains around 100 eggs. This makes her one of the most prolific turtles recorded on the Costa Blanca in recent years.
Experts hope she will return to Denia again this summer, as loggerhead turtles often return to the same beaches where they previously nested.
Growing stronger before release
The fifteen turtles spent the past year at the Oceanogràfic Foundation’s ARCA del Mar conservation centre.
By allowing the turtles to grow before release, conservationists increase their chances of survival in the wild.
Their brothers and sisters headed straight into the Mediterranean when the nests hatched last August and September.
One of the turtles released this week, named Marieta, has been fitted with a satellite tracker that will allow researchers to follow its journey through the Mediterranean.
A race for survival
As soon as they were placed on the sand, the young turtles instinctively made their way towards the sea.
Although hundreds of turtles hatch each year, only a small percentage survive to adulthood.
They face numerous threats including plastic pollution, discarded fishing gear, boat strikes and habitat loss.
However, conservationists hope that some of Diana’s offspring will survive long enough to return to Denia’s beaches in the future to lay nests of their own.
How to help
Local authorities are reminding residents and visitors to remain vigilant during turtle nesting season.
Anyone who spots a turtle emerging from the sea or notices tracks in the sand should immediately call 112.
Early reporting allows specialists to protect nests and give hatchlings the best possible chance of survival.
