A “unique moment” occurred on Wednesday night, August 6th, at Levante beach in Benidorm, Alicante: the birth of several dozen loggerhead turtles, 37 of which are surviving and two of which are deceased. At approximately midnight, the local authorities and the 112 emergency service received numerous calls from individuals on the Levante promenade who reported the presence of tiny turtles walking on the sand near Avenida de Madrid 26.
The municipal rural guard, the Councillor for Beaches and the Environment, Mónica Gómez, and local police units were dispatched to the location. Benidorm City Council implemented the protocol for these types of incidents, which is endorsed by the University of Valencia (UV), the Oceanogràfic of Valencia, and the NGO Xaloc.
Local police officers cordoned off the area and protected the adolescent turtles discovered on the beach while anticipating the arrival of biologists and specialists from the UV and Oceanogràfic. While ensuring the safety of all the recovered specimens, the biologists and specialists, volunteers from the NGO Xaloc, and the rural guard unsuccessfully attempted to locate the nest by following the various trails the turtles had left in a vast area of sand, where no denser nests were observed, throughout the night.
After their health and measurements were evaluated, 30 of the specimens that were recovered alive were released in Ti Ximo cove before dawn. The remaining seven turtles are currently at the Oceanogràfic facilities, where they will be raised in a controlled environment for a year as part of the institution’s “head-starting” programme before being released into the sea.
The City Council and l’Oceanogràfic have not ruled out the possibility of observing additional newborns in the upcoming hours, as the eggs in a single nest hatch at varying intervals. In the event of a sighting, the public is advised to refrain from touching the specimen, with the exception of preventing it from entering the water, and to promptly contact 112 without delay.
The birth of these turtles in the centre of the city of Benidorm has once again taken us by surprise, according to Benidorm Mayor Toni Pérez. “Fortunately, this is not the first instance in which Mediterranean loggerhead turtles have selected our beaches as a secure location to lay their eggs, which serves as a testament to the health of our bay and coastline.”
Author: Derek Appleton
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