Turtles hatch on Benidorm’s Levante beach

Passers-by reported the pitter-patter of tiny flippers on the sand

Several dozen loggerhead turtles were born on Benidorm’s famous Playa de Levante on Wednesday night-Thursday morning.

At about midnight, the Local Police and “112” emergency services number received several calls from people reporting that tiny turtles were walking on the sand in the area level with Avenida de Madrid, number 26.

Those who went to the scene included several units of police officers; the councillor for beaches and the environment, Mónica Gómez; and the town hall’s rural guard, who followed the protocol for cases.

The Local Police, while they were waiting for biologists and specialists from Valencia University and the Oceanographic in Valencia, cordoned off the area and guarded the baby turtles, of which there were 37 alive and two dead.

They were joined by volunteers from the conservationist NGO Xaloc, and all spent several hours of the night unsuccessfully trying to find the nest.

Although they followed the tracks which the turtles had left in a wide perimeter in the sand, they could not see anywhere where these tracks were more dense.

Out of the turtles that were recovered alive, 30 were released before dawn at Cala del Ti Ximo, once their health had been checked and their measurements taken.

The other seven surviving turtles were taken to the Oceanographic, where they are being reared in a controlled environment until they have grown enough to improve their chances of survival when they are eventually released, as part of the institution’s “head-starting” programme.

The town hall and Oceanographic did not rule out the chances of more baby turtles being born over the subsequent hours, since eggs in the same nest can hatch at different times.

Anyone who sees a turtle is asked not to touch it, other than to prevent it going into the water, and to call 112 immediately.

Mayor Toni Pérez said: “Nature has surprised us again today in Benidorm, in the heart of the city, with the birth of these turtles."

“This is not, fortunately, the first time that we have seen loggerhead turtles of the Mediterranean choose our beaches as a safe space to lay eggs,” he noted.

“Which demonstrates exactly how healthy our coast and our bay are.”

Saving turtles in Andalucía

A campaign by the name of “Aqui salvamos tortugas” (here we save turtles), which is travelling around coastal towns, was held in Rota (Cádiz) on Playa de la Costilla on Wednesday.

Its purpose was to inform the general public about the presence of turtles along the coast and what they should do if they see one, especially during the summer when it is the nesting season of the loggerhead turtle.

The campaign also involves putting up posters on beaches along Andalucía’s Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, to remind people they should not interfere with the animals, and should call the emergency number “112”, so that the regional government can implement its Beachings Network protocol.

The initiative is part of Seville Aquarium’s work to promote environmental education, scientific explanation and conservation of marine ecosystems, which is supported by institutions including Global Omnium, the Oceanographic Foundation, Andalucía regional government and the Andalucían Federation of Municipalities and Provinces.

Rota is one of six coastal municipalities in Cádiz province which is taking part, along with 83 others in the regions of Andalucía, Valencia, Murcia and the Balearic Islands. 

Images: Ayuntamiento de Benidorm