They are characterised by being highly migratory species that use Spanish waters as feeding areas, development and a place of passage.

In Spain, five of the seven species of sea turtles existing in the world have been observed. Loggerhead, leatherback, green, hawksbill, olive ridley, flat and olive ridley turtles (the latter two not seen in Spain) are characterised by being highly migratory species that use Spanish waters as feeding areas, development and as a place of passage on their long transoceanic journeys. But, in some cases, they also approach the coasts to nest.

All of them are threatened globally due to numerous factors derived from human activities, such as the loss and degradation of essential habitats -including laying beaches-; interactions with various fisheries; marine pollution and litter or the illegal international trade of products derived from them, among others.

The most popular is the loggerhead (Careta caretta), but leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles are also frequently observed in the Spanish seas.  

Although it does not nest in Spain, many juvenile green turtles pass through maritime areas near the coast of the Canary Islands. This species, listed as “endangered” by the IUCN, has a shell that changes hue as it grows. While that of the young is predominantly black or dark gray, when they reach adulthood they change to a dark olive green color. But, far from what you might think, its common name derives from the green color of its body fat.

The presence of this species in Spanish waters is rare. Individuals have only been found occasionally in Galicia, Asturias, the Canary Islands, the Chafarinas Islands, the Alboran Sea, the Balearic Islands, the Levant and Catalonia. Also in the Canary Islands, where optimal areas for their feeding have been found, so it is necessary to reinforce the study of these populations and the conservation of these areas.

The second most common species on the Spanish coast, after the loggerhead turtle, is the leatherback. It stands out for its large size and its peculiar shell, made up of seven longitudinal keels covered with a resistant skin.

She is an expert in the consumption of jellyfish and other gelatinous invertebrates, foods that she seeks in the North Atlantic from the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean and the Bay of Biscay to higher latitudes such as Great Britain and the Nordic countries.

It is characterized by its long transoceanic migrations from tropical waters, where they reproduce, to very cold waters to find abundant food. There is no known stable nesting in temperate zones, although isolated cases have been observed on beaches of higher latitude such as Cape Verde and the Canary Islands. Currently, it is listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and “endangered” by the Red Book of Vertebrates of Spain.

In order to promote their conservation, the LIFE IP INTEMARES project will promote various actions to improve knowledge about the origin of their populations and whether there are critical areas that need to be conserved to improve the protection of the species. These actions may contribute to establishing future lines of cooperation and coordination with the states that manage the nesting beaches.

Leatherback, green and loggerhead turtles will be included in the Sea Turtle Conservation Strategy, whose creation will be promoted within the framework of the LIFE IP INTEMARES project and which will lay the foundations for the specific conservation plans to be drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment.

In addition, the Ministry has also promoted the creation of a common protocol of action for sea turtles stranded on the Spanish coast or that enter recovery centers in order to improve knowledge of these species and their main threats at sea. To date, different protocols are applied and the available information is sometimes scarce and heterogeneous.

A participatory project

The LIFE IP INTEMARES, the largest marine environment conservation project in Europe, aims to achieve a network of marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network, managed effectively, with the active participation of the sectors involved and with research as basic tools for decision-making. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and the Environment also as a partner through the General Directorate of Sustainability of the Coast and the Sea.

The Spanish Institute of Oceanography, WWF-Spain, SEO/BirdLife and the Spanish Fisheries Confederation also participate as partners. It has the financial contribution of the European Union’s LIFE Programme, as well as the European Social Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, among other sources of funding.