Loggerhead turtle is returned to the sea in Estepona after it was found stranded on a Vélez-Málaga beach | Sur in English
Andrea Jiménez
A loggerhead turtle that was found stranded on a beach in Vélez-Málaga more than two months ago has been released back into the sea on the Costa del Sol.
The sea creature was found on 10 May and has been in veterinary care since. The Cristo beach, in Estepona, was the chosen place for the turtle to return to the sea this Monday 17 July.
It’s the tenth turtle to be released back into the wild this year as part of an emergency programme to help stranded sea turtles in Andalucía.
The turtle, named Vélez, has been receiving veterinary care at the marine environment management centre in Algeciras where during 2023, 14 specimens have been admitted, including two from the coast of Malaga (one of them died of pneumonia), six from the SOS Caretta project (Sanlucar de Barrameda), two stranded on the coast of Cadiz and one more that was entangled in a trap off Tarifa (Cadiz).
These animals, which are then released into the sea with a tracker device, provide a wealth of scientific information to the Junta, according to the Minister of Environment, Ramon Fernandez-Pacheco.
This is the case of the turtle that was born last 8 July on the Nueva Andalucía beach in Marbella and had been wearing a tracker which allowed scientists to know which waters it moved through.
“These animals seek warm waters to lay their eggs and increasingly choose the coast of the Costa del Sol; that gives us scientific information to know how climate change affects the marine environment and evidence that the sea temperature is rising,” Fernandez-Pacheco said.
The minister called for members the public to be aware of any nesting sites along the coast, citing a recent case in Marbella, where man who was walking his dog observed the turtle when it reached the sand and called 112. “We ask anyone who notices anything not to touch the animals and call the emergecny servces number. We need this help to protect our biodiversity; the environment is everyone’s job. From the Andalusian Government, of course we do our part, but creating this public awareness is essential to achieve a resounding success,” he said.
There are currently seven turtles in the management centre in Algeciras: Macario, Aurorita, Saray and Locomía who were admitted through the SOS Caretta project; Manu who was stranded in Playa de los Alemanes (Bolonia, Cadiz) and was admitted with an internal fracture in one of his flippers; Luz Bella who was entangled in a trap off Tarifa (Cadiz); and Lush who was picked up by a research vessel while sailing in the Bay of Algeciras and who had buoyancy problems.