New sea turtle nest located on Can Pastilla beach

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Environment has reported the discovery of a sea turtle nest (Caretta caretta) on Can Pastilla beach in Palma.

A user alerted the authorities early on Sunday morning, September 22, and staff from the Consortium for the Recovery of Fauna in the Balearic Islands (COFIB), which operates under the General Directorate of Natural Environment and Forest Management, traveled to the area to confirm the findings, locate the exact position of the nest, and activate the established protocol for such cases. The City Council of Palma, the Palma Aquarium Foundation, Local Police, and the Lifeguard Service also collaborated.

A total of 109 eggs were found, of which 18 sea turtles have hatched. Both the hatchlings and the eggs were transferred to the COFIB facilities to assess their health status and will subsequently be moved to the IRFAP-LIMIA facilities in the Port of Andratx, where the Marine Fauna Department of COFIB will take care of and monitor them. According to Miquel Puig, the manager of COFIB, all indications suggest that this nest was laid during the second half of July. He also noted that this is the first nest recorded this season in the Balearic Islands.

The government is requesting maximum cooperation from the public to preserve the nests. We are currently in the peak season for this species, and the months of September and October are hatching and birth periods for the hatchlings. If new nests or hatchlings are detected, they must be reported immediately to 112, and the animals should not be touched under any circumstances.

It is important to highlight that these turtles will be part of the Head Starting program, in accordance with the national strategy for the species and in collaboration with other autonomous communities. This strategy consists of a breeding program in a controlled artificial environment lasting between 10 and 12 months. Thanks to this program, the chances of survival for these animals are exponentially increased once they are returned to the sea. These sea turtle specimens will be released into the ocean once the program period is completed.

The sea turtle Caretta caretta is classified as Vulnerable in the Spanish Catalog of Threatened Species, typically reproducing in the eastern Mediterranean. It has only been since the early 21st century that it has begun nesting in the western Mediterranean, likely due to rising sea temperatures.