A large turtle surprised a group of fishermen this weekend off the north coast of Mallorca, about two and a half miles from Sa Foradada. The encounter was captured on video by one of those present, Filippo Crocé, who shared the footage with this newspaper.
"We saw an animal approaching — it turned out to be a turtle, and it gradually came closer to our boat," Crocé explained. According to his account, the animal stayed around the boat for quite some time, moving from stern to bow as if curiously inspecting the area.
“It stayed around the boat; you could see it quite clearly as it was a fairly large animal. I think it was looking for something to eat. I checked to see if it had any nets or problems, but it was perfectly fine. I believe it was just having a look around — it circled four or five times and then eventually swam off,” recounts the amateur fisherman.
A regular in these waters, Crocé says that experiences like this are one of the reasons he continues to go out to sea: “I'm an amateur fisherman and I often go out there to unwind after the week. It really relaxes me — if I catch something, great, and if not, I don’t mind. And if I get encounters like this, it’s wonderful.”
In his account, he also reflects on the state of the Mediterranean Sea: “These are rare events nowadays, given the condition of the Mediterranean. I’m from a coastal town in Italy, and when I was little, it was normal to see turtles — but now it’s much rarer to spot these animals.”
It’s not the first time this fisherman has come across marine wildlife in the area — he has also spotted dolphins, and stingrays. The footage shows a large turtle swimming calmly alongside the boat, in crystal-clear waters and complete tranquillity. A rare moment that, in Crocé’s own words, was simply: “a lovely encounter.”