Can Pere Antoni beach in Palma is the scene of the first recorded laying of sea turtle (Caretta caretta) eggs in Mallorca, the Regional Ministry for the Environment and Territory confirmed today.
The nest, sighted in the early hours of this morning by a member of the public, has been cordoned off to ensure its safety and contains 106 eggs.
The acting minister for the Environment, Miquel Mir, said that the Species Protection Service and the Consortium for the Recovery of Fauna on the Balearic Islands (COFIB) have confirmed the first laying of sea turtle eggs ever recorded in Mallorca.
Mir explained that the nest contains 106 eggs, 26 of which have already been transferred to the Marine Research and Aquaculture Laboratory (LIMIA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, where they will be treated with artificial incubation to increase the guarantees of hatching.The other 80 will remain for the time being in the nest.
The minister explained that the nest was detected thanks to a tip-off from a member of the public at around midnight, which enabled the technical protocol to be activated and the number of eggs to be quantified.
Mir insisted that if a turtle is spotted on a beach, “no one” should touch it or come within 15 metres of it.
The COFIB has indicated that the turtle should not be photographed with a flash and that 112 should be called immediately so that the action protocol can be implemented.
In addition, “maximum caution and prudence” is requested when publicising this type of event through social networks to ensure that the work of specialists is carried out under the least possible pressure.
Mir pointed out that the Caretta caretta is a species classified as vulnerable, and therefore called for the cooperation of the general public in order to preserve the nest.
He also explained that this is a species that usually breeds in the eastern Mediterranean and that it was not until the beginning of the 21st century that it began to nest in the western Mediterranean, most likely due to the increase in sea temperature.
“It is therefore a new environmental challenge that comes to us because of the climatic emergency we are suffering,” he added.
The COFIB’s marine fauna coordinator, Guiem Félix, commented that right now is the breeding season for this species and, therefore, it is likely that more nesting attempts will be recorded, either by this same specimen or by others.
The case of Can Pere Antoni beach is the first nesting recorded this year in Spain, so given the likelihood of new cases, it is necessary to notify 112 immediately, not to disturb the animal and to prevent the laying from being unsuccessful.