So far this year, there have been several nesting attempts and we already have a total of seven nests on our coasts.

Mascletà and Victoria are the names of two female loggerhead turtles that we are studying, within the framework of the LIFE INTEMARES project, to know their movements via satellite and promote their reproductive success during this nesting season on our beaches.

The two specimens have been marked with satellite transmitters at the time of laying thanks to the coordinated action of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, the autonomous communities of Catalonia and Valencia, as well as organizations such as the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the CRAM Foundation, the University of Barcelona, Barcelona Zoo, the University of Valencia, Xaloc and the Oceanogràfic Foundation of Valencia.

Mascletà has surprised the scientific community. In mid-July she laid 141 eggs on a beach in Vila-seca (Tarragona), of which 90 were translocated to a place away from the tide and the rest were taken to recovery centers to increase the viability of the laying.

Its marking and monitoring via satellite has allowed it to be observed that 15 days after this first laying, it has nested again on the same beach of Vila-seca. On this occasion, 74 eggs have been counted, of which 60 remain on the beach and the rest in two recovery centers. In total, Mascletà has managed to lay a total of 215 eggs, although it is hypothesized that there are some additional nests that have not been detected.

To facilitate Mascletà’s last laying, the authorities and entities involved tried to improve the environmental conditions of the beach, lowering the lighting of the promenade, restricting cleaning work and creating volunteer groups, among other actions. After the good result obtained, the scientists reaffirm the need to improve management on the beach to promote the success of nesting.

At the moment, Mascletà is moving away from its nesting area. This female is a great traveler and was already marked in 2016 thanks to a project developed by the Chelonia Association, with the support of the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. At that time, it reached the Algerian coast after passing through the coast of Tarragona, the north of Menorca, the eastern coast of Sardinia and the western coast of the Italian peninsula.

On the other hand, the female named Victoria nested at the end of July on a beach in Cullera, in Valencia, with a clutch of 85 eggs, of which 68 were translocated to a protected beach and the rest remain in recovery centers.

Through satellite transmitters we can know their behaviour, which facilitates the detection of their nests in the event that they spawn again and therefore allows us to speed up actions to guarantee their protection.

Citizen collaboration is also essential. If you locate a nest, track or specimen of sea turtle, you should immediately notify 112.

Fruitful season

So far this year, there have been several nesting attempts and we already have a total of seven nests on our coasts, two in the Balearic Islands (one in Menorca and one additional in Ibiza), one in Murcia, three in Catalonia (one in Barcelona and two in Vila-seca) and one in Valencia (Cullera).

All of them are loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), the most common species in Spanish waters, whose appearance has increased on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, both juveniles and adults.

In recent years, nesting events have been detected on the Spanish Mediterranean coast that suggest that we could be facing a colonization process, derived from the process of global change in which we are immersed.

Experts also note that the number of nests is probably greater than what is detected, so it is necessary to promote measures that contribute to their location and guarantee their survival.

Effective management

LIFE INTEMARES advances towards the protection of sea turtles among the conservation actions of this project that aims to achieve an effective management of the marine spaces of the Natura 2000 Network, with the active participation of the sectors involved and with research as basic tools for decision-making.

The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge coordinates this integrated project, in which the Ministry’s Directorate-General for Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification, IEO, CEPESCA, SEO/BirdLife and WWF-Spain participate as partners. It has the financial contribution of the European Union’s LIFE programme, among other sources of funding.