Thirty baby loggerhead turtles return to the sea at La Manga
The hatchlings were born last summer on La Manga del Mar Menor’s Ensenada del Esparto beach
The Mar Menor witnessed another heart-warming conservation success story on Tuesday morning, July 2, as thirty young loggerhead turtles made their journey back to the sea at Ensenada del Esparto beach in La Manga.
These endangered turtles hatched from a nest of 90 eggs discovered and carefully protected on this same beach last summer.
The momentous occasion brought together key figures in San Javier’s environmental conservation efforts. Minister of the Environment, Universities, Research and Mar Menor Juan María Vázquez joined San Javier Mayor José Miguel Luengo to witness these magnificent creatures return to their natural habitat.
Tuesday’s event marks another milestone in an ongoing conservation effort that has now seen nearly 200 loggerhead turtle specimens released along the Region of Murcia coast in recent years.Extraordinary efforts are being made to repopulate the loggerhead turtle in Murcia, a species which is sadly still in danger of extinction. Councillor Juan María Vázquez explained that it took a huge spirit of collaboration between San Javier Town Council, volunteers and organisations like the El Valle Wildlife Recovery Centre to guard this valuable nest.
The minister also recognised the crucial contributions of the Valencia Oceanographic Centre and IMIDA, whose expertise enabled these tiny hatchlings to grow from just 20 grams to a healthy 1 kilos each.
The loggerhead turtle, known scientifically as Caretta caretta, faces numerous threats in the wild including habitat loss, pollution, fishing net entanglement and climate change impacts on nesting beaches.
Conservation programs like the one in La Manga provide crucial support for species recovery by ensuring higher survival rates during the most vulnerable early stages of turtle development.As another summer season enters full swing, Mr Vázquez has taken the opportunity to remind beachgoers that if they spot a nest, they should immediately call 112 and refrain from touching or disturbing the eggs in any way.
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Images: Ayuntamiento de San Javier
Address
Calle Padre Juan. Centro Cultural Principe de Asturias 30720 SAN JAVIERTel: 968 571 704
Oficina de Turismo de San Javier
The municipality of San Javier has three main offices giving tourist information to visitors, as well as two information points. The tourist offices are located in Santiago de la Ribera, on the ground floor of the town hall in San Javier and at the start of La Manga. There is also a summer tourist information point located on the seafront in Santiago de la Ribera as well as one at kilometre 12-13 of La Manga del Mar Menor next to Playa Mistral.
Due to its location on the fringes of the Mar Menor and Mediterranean, San Javier has a period of intense summer tourism activity during the peak summer months, although it is popular with retirees of all nationalities out of peak season.
Tickets for the annual San Javier Jazz Festival can be purchased at the Festival office in San Javier Town Hall, Plaza de España.
Timetables summer 2024:
Tourist office Santiago de la Ribera (Calle Padre Juan 30720, Santiago de la Ribera)
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00 and 18.00 to 21.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.00 to 13.00
Telephone: 661 572285
Email: turismo@sanjavier.es
La Manga del Mar Menor (Gran Vía Km. 0 30380, La Manga del Mar Menor):
May 1 to September 30:
Weekdays 10.00 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 19.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.30 to 13.00
Telephone 968 128955 ext. 2
Tourist information point of San Javier (Plaza de España, 30730 San Javier):
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00
968 573 700 ext #5351
Email: concejaliadeturismo@sanjavier.es
Tourist information point of Santiago de la Ribera (Paseo Colón on the seafront)
Weekdays 9.00 to 14.00 and 18.00 to 21.00
Weekends and public holidays 10.00 to 13.00
Tourist information point of La Manga del Mar Menor (Playa Mistral, km 12)
Weekdays 11.00 to 18.00
Weekends and public holidays 11.00 to 14.00
