The The Marina (Elche) has hosted the release into the sea of ​​36 loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), an event open to the public that coincided with the celebration of World Habitat Day. The specimens were born in 2024 on the Elche coast and have been cared for for about a year in the Oceanogrà fic de València within the conservation program known as Head Starting.
The meeting was attended by schoolchildren from La Marina Primary School, technical staff and volunteers, as well as municipal representatives: the mayor Pablo Ruz, the Councilor for the Environment José Antonio Román and the Councilor for Education Maria BonmatiThe La Marina district also participated Mari Carmen Molina, along with the neighborhood that came to witness the liberation.
A day open to the public
The activity had a marked educational and family-oriented nature, with explanations about the biology and care of the species before its release. The importance of Elche's commitment to marine conservation and the importance of maintaining a well-preserved coastline.
Local authorities stressed that the presence of these pups is indicative of a coastal environment. natural and well preserved, and insisted on the need to continue protecting the habitat to encourage new nesting episodes in the municipality.
From the nests to the coast: Arenales del Sol as an enclave
The 36 released turtles come from two nests located in 2024 in the zone of Sandbanks of the SunFollowing the usual protocols, some of the eggs were transferred to controlled incubators to ensure their development, while the rest remained protected in situ by volunteers and technicians.
In recent years, the Elche coast has established itself as a relevant point for the loggerhead turtle nesting in the western Mediterranean, with an increase in sightings and nest records that reinforce the ecological value of this stretch of the Valencian coastline.
A year of care and the head-starting method
After hatching, the young spent about twelve months at the Oceanogrà fic with adapted feeding, environmental control and veterinary care, measures that prepare the animals to face their return to the sea with greater confidence.
The focus of Head Starting It seeks to reduce the high mortality rate of the first few months, increasing the probability of survival of the offspring. percentages higher than 90% once released into their natural habitat.
Threats and protection of the species
La loggerhead It is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Its main threats include Marine contamination, accidental catches in fishing gear, loss of natural beaches and the effects of climate change on the temperature of the sand, which can alter embryonic development and sexual balance.
The action is part of a conservation program coordinated by the Oceanogrà fic Foundation together with the regional administration and the municipalities of the Valencian coast, with volunteers playing a key role in nest monitoring and awareness-raising efforts.
Local involvement and environmental education
The presence of students from CEIP La Marina and the participation of Oceanographic professionals They provided an educational component to the day, bringing the public closer to the value of biodiversity and good practices for living with marine fauna.
The municipal Department of the Environment emphasized that the sustained work over the years is yielding results, with more nests and greater social involvement; a step forward that the council and the local community are committed to. strengthen in the long term.
Looking at the future
When they reach maturity, within 20–25 yearsMany of these females could return to the same beaches where they were born to spawn, closing the cycle that has now been reactivated on the Elche coast.
The Navy event summarizes the sum of scientific, institutional and citizen efforts: return to the Mediterranean After a year of preparation, in an area that is gaining importance for nesting and that faces the challenge of continuing to protect its coastline from persistent threats.