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Two rescued loggerhead turtles return to the sea in the Region of Murcia
The turtles were rescued in Mazarrón after becoming tangled in nets, ropes and other debris and have now been returned to the Mediterranean
Two loggerhead turtles have been given a second chance in the Mediterranean after being rescued from the waters around Mazarrón and treated for their injuries in the Region of Murcia.
One of the turtles was found badly injured on Bolnuevo beach while the other was spotted struggling in the sea by passengers on a tourist boat.
The larger of the two weighed 28.8kg and measured 64cm. Municipal lifeguards found it on the beach on June 26 and contacted the El Valle Wildlife Recovery Centre.
When specialists arrived, they found the turtle had suffered a serious injury to one of its flippers, which was so badly damaged there was a risk it would need to be amputated. The animal had also become tangled in pieces of fishing net and rope.
The second turtle was considerably smaller, weighing just 1.8kg. It was spotted in the waters of the Bay of Mazarrón by a tourist boat, whose crew rescued it and took it back to port after contacting the recovery centre.
This turtle had become caught up in raffia sacks, which had tightened around its limbs and caused some constriction. After receiving treatment and recovering from their ordeal, both turtles were strong enough to be returned to the sea.
Their release brings the number of adult loggerhead turtles returned to the wild in the Region of Murcia since 2021 to 31. That’s already more than the 29 adult turtles released during the entire decade from 2010 to 2020.
Two loggerhead turtle nests have also been recorded in the Region so far this season.
The first was discovered at Estacio beach in La Manga, San Javier, on July 3, containing 75 eggs. The eggs were carefully moved to a safer location around kilometre 15 of La Manga to give them better protection while they develop.
Five days later, another nest was found at Cala de los Dentoles, inside the Calblanque, Monte de las Cenizas and Peña del Águila Regional Park in Cartagena. This nest contained 92 eggs.
In total, 11 loggerhead turtle nests have now been discovered in the Region of Murcia since 2019, when the first was recorded.
Image: CARM
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