On Saturday night, the beach of Nules became the scene of a new loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatching after a spontaneous nest with 98 eggs was recorded.
The notice arrived around 11 p.m., when several residents alerted the Civil Guard to the presence of newborns in the sand.
The first to discover the hatchlings were the residents of a nearby house, who observed how the small turtles were heading towards their front door, attracted by the light from the entrance.
The team from the Oceanogràfic Foundation and the University of Valencia, through the Stranding Network of the Valencian Community, immediately moved to the site and found the nest, where they counted 92 shells and six whole eggs without development.
By the time the technicians arrived, the residents had already released some specimens into the sea.
The count confirmed the presence of 32 live hatchlings on the beach.
Of this group, 27 entered the sea and five were admitted to the Oceanogràfic of Valencia to participate in the headstarting program. This technique allows turtles to be raised in a controlled environment until they reach a size and weight suitable to increase their chances of survival in the wild.
The Oceanogràfic Foundation has highlighted the importance of citizen collaboration in this type of episode, which is increasingly frequent on the Mediterranean coast.
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