The first marine turtle nest of Ibiza’s season is localized

This is the second confirmed nest in the Balearics after the one that was localized in Can Pere Antoni, in the last month of July.

The Agriculture, Fishing and Environment Board has confirmed the first marine turtle nest (Caretta caretta) of the season in Ibiza. This is the second confirmed nest in the Balearics, after the first one was found in the month of July in the beach of Can Pere Antoni, in Palma. The nest has been localized, concretely, in the beach of Es Cavallet, in the Natural Park of Ses Salines of Ibiza, and 85 eggs have been confirmed.

The discovery has taken place this Thursday, August 7th, in the morning, when an individual detected a big marine turtle preparing the nest in the high area of the beach, close to the dune, and warned 112 emergencies with his phone, which has led the incidence to the Recuperation Consortium of Faun of the Balearic Islands (COFIB), to proceed to its management. 

The staff of COFIB has moved to the place of the discovery and has confirmed the presence of a trail of marine turtles, thanks to which the definitive presence of a total of 85 eggs that were buried in the sand has been detected.

Taking into account the date of the discovery, and the incubation of the marine turtles eggs in the beach lasts between 55 and 60 days, the eggs will be moved to Malloca to be incubated artificially. The objective is securing their viability and increasing the development possibilities and the birth of the individuals.

The operation has been coordinated by the COFIB, organism that belongs to Directorate General of Natural Environment and Forest Management of the Agriculture, Fishing and Environment Board, and have collaborated with Sant Josep de sa Talaia’s Council, th Natural Park of Ses Salines of Ibiza and Formentera, the lifeguard staff of MarSave and the concessionary company of the beach, IBIFOR.

The general director of Natural Environment and Forest Management, Anna Torres, has explained that “the climate change can be one of the causes of the change in the reproductive behavior of the marine turtle, that now broods in the occidental Mediterranean”. Precisely in this sense, Torres has asked the civilian collaboration to be attentive and warn 112 emergency mobile phone in case of finding a marine turtle doing a nest, a trail in the sand or turtles being born in the beach.

The marine turtle Caretta caretta is a species cataloguized as vulnerable, and their brooding in the coasts of the Spanish Mediterranean is considered every time more frequent, being registered year after year since 2014.