More than 140 sea turtles (Caretta caretta) born in the Balearic Islands were released last June after the successful completion of the Head Starting programme for the 2023-2024 season
During the summer of 2023, the five sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests detected in the Balearic Islands and managed by COFIB developed successfully and gave rise to the birth of 195 turtles. That same November, now a year ago, 28 of these specimens were released on the beach of Es Cavallet (Ibiza) and 19 in Cala Millor (Mallorca). The rest became part of the Head Starting Programme for sea turtles in the Balearic Islands.
This programme consists of breeding sea turtle specimens in a controlled artificial environment for a period of between 10 and 12 months. This initiative is part of the national strategy for the conservation of this protected species, and aims to release the specimens at a size and weight greater than they were at birth, similar to what they could assume in the wild at 3-5 years of age, to reduce their vulnerability to different predators and thus increase their survival. To do this, during the months of the program the specimens are fed, they are monitored individually and the changes they would experience in the wild are simulated to adapt them to the natural environment.
After this period, with a weight of over a kilogram and a size of almost 20 cm, last June these turtles were released on the beaches where they were born, in Can Pere Antoni and Cala Millor in the case of the island of Mallorca, and on the beach of Es Cavallet in the case of Ibiza. In total, 142 turtles were released, in the presence of Margalida Prohens, president of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Joan Simonet, Regional Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and Anna Torres, General Manager of Natural Medicine and Forest Management, technical staff from COFIB, technical staff from participating centres (Palma Aquarium Foundation, Cabrera Visitor Centre…), other collaborating agents such as the Environmental Agents and Town Councils involved, in addition to the team of volunteers who helped guard the nests during the previous summer. Curious people also came to see the long-awaited image of the turtles entering the sea for the first time.
During this summer of 2024, an unsuccessful nesting attempt was recorded in August, and 16 turtles were born from a previously undetected nest at the end of September, both on the island of Mallorca. Once again, this year the Department of Marine Fauna of COFIB welcomes turtles from other autonomous communities in a new edition of the Head Starting Program, participating in the third edition of the study carried out in collaboration with the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Generalitat de València, the CRAM, the University of Vic and the Oceanogràfico de Valencia.
