Punta Prima records the first sea turtle nest of the season in the Balearic Islands

The nest, located on Punta Prima beach in Menorca, belongs to the sea turtle spotted in the same area on the 13th of July.

The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment has reported the hatching of sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchlings from a nest on Punta Prima beach, in Sant Lluís (Menorca). The discovery confirms the first sea turtle nest of the 2026 season in the Balearic Islands and establishes that the female turtle spotted on the same beach on 13 July ultimately laid her eggs, although it was not possible to locate them at the time.

In the early hours of today, Friday 18 September, a member of the public alerted the 112 emergency service to the presence of sea turtle hatchlings in the area. The established protocol was immediately activated, and marine wildlife staff from the Consortium for the Recovery of Wildlife of the Balearic Islands (COFIB), which comes under the Directorate-General for Natural Environment and Forestry Management, travelled to Punta Prima.

The total number of hatchlings is 23, although the possibility of finding additional specimens has not been ruled out. Technical staff from the Regional Ministry will continue monitoring the area and, once the process has been completed, a final count will be carried out.

The live hatchlings found will be transferred to the facilities of the Visitor Centre of Cabrera National Park, where their health will be assessed and they will be incorporated into the Balearic Islands 2026–2027 head-starting programme. Eggs that have not hatched will be transferred to the Aula del Mar facilities in Palma, where incubation will continue under technical supervision and their development will be monitored over the coming days.

In this regard, Regional Minister Joan Simonet highlighted that “this case demonstrates the importance of taking preventive action whenever there is any indication of nesting. Although the eggs could not be located in July, the decision was taken to protect the area in case a nest had been laid. This decision has allowed us to act immediately now, locate the nest and protect the hatchlings.”

Simonet particularly thanked the public for their cooperation: “The fact that a member of the public immediately called 112 was crucial in activating the protocol. For a vulnerable and protected species such as this one, every report is essential to enable us to act quickly and ensure its protection,” the minister said.

It should be recalled that on the 13th of July, a member of the public reported seeing a female sea turtle attempting to nest on Punta Prima beach. However, after several searches, it was not possible to find the eggs, and it was initially considered that the turtle might not have completed the laying process. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, Regional Ministry staff cordoned off and proactively protected the area where the female had been spotted. The aim was to keep the area protected throughout the approximate incubation period and to be able to act if hatchlings eventually emerged.

Meanwhile, the Director-General for Natural Environment and Forestry Management, Anna Torres, explained that “locating a nest is not always easy. Tracks can be altered by the presence of people and footprints in the sand and, therefore, when there are signs of nesting but the eggs cannot be located, prevention is essential.” She added: “In this case, protecting the area throughout this period has allowed us to keep it under surveillance in case there was indeed a nest.”

Until now, no sea turtle nest had been confirmed in the Balearic Islands during the summer of 2026. During June and July, several nesting attempts had been recorded in Pollença Bay, apparently without success, in addition to the female spotted on the 13th of July at Punta Prima. The emergence of the hatchlings now confirms the first sea turtle nest of the 2026 season in the archipelago.

Hatchlings found to be in good health will join the head-starting programme, which involves keeping the animals in controlled conditions during their first months of life with the aim of increasing their chances of survival before they are released back into the wild. At the same time, the programme helps advance scientific knowledge of the species during its early stages of life.

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is classified as a vulnerable species. For this reason, the Balearic Government reminds the public that, in the event of any indication of nesting, the presence of a turtle on the beach, tracks in the sand, or the discovery of hatchlings on or around the beach, it is essential not to touch or handle the animals or their tracks and to immediately call the 112 emergency service.

Public cooperation makes it possible to activate protection protocols quickly, ensure that the animals receive appropriate care, and obtain essential information to monitor the development of sea turtle nesting activity in the Balearic Islands and the western Mediterranean, guide conservation measures, and continue advancing scientific knowledge of the species.