Did you know that since 2019 the loggerhead turtle has been laying its eggs on the Mediterranean coast? On the Balearic Islands this has already happened 7 times, in places such as Can Pere Antoni beach in Palma de Mallorca and in Cala Millor. It is unusual for these turtles to nest here, but to make sure you’re prepared, at Garden Hotels we going to tell you what to do if, on one of your days at the beach, you come across one of them or their nests by surprise.
Climate change is causing sea turtles to nest more and more frequently on the Mediterranean coast in summer and it is important to know what to do if you come across a sea turtle, its tracks, a nest or some of its hatchlings on the beach. For this reason, at Garden Hotels we are helping to spread this information for the protection of this species, which in recent years has been visiting the Balearic Islands in an extraordinary way to lay its eggs. We work with the Consorci de Recuperació de la Fauna de les Illes Balears (COFIB), an organisation belonging to the Servei de Protecció d’Espècies de la Conselleria de Medi Ambient i Territori de les Illes Balears.
You should know that the most important thing is that you do not disturb them, dazzle them by taking photos or try to touch them. Do not erase any traces left on the sand and always call the emergency number 112; their technicians will take care of everything, even in the case of a cetacean sighting.
What to do if you spot a turtle on holiday
Would you like to know how Garden Hotels contributes to the conservation of sea turtles? At our hotels, on arrival at reception and on each establishment’s online apps, in the sustainability section, you can find the instructions you need to follow when you spot a sea turtle, through a YouTube video, and also through a QR code, which you can find in different languages, in Spanish, English and German, for example.
The campaign, which started on 15 May and ends on 15 October, can be found at the following Garden Hotels establishments: in Majorca, at the Alcudia Garden Aparthotel, the Cala Millor Garden Hotel, the Garden Holiday Village, the Playa Garden Selection Hotel & Spa, the Green Garden Aparthotel and HYB Eurocalas; in Menorca, at the Marinda Garden Aparthotel; and in Ibiza, at the Tropic Garden Hotel Apartments.
The loggerhead turtle, or ‘Caretta caretta’, is found throughout the temperate and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean Sea and the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Traditionally, on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, the species is classified as “non-nesting or occasional”. However, as you have seen, this has changed in recent years and it is increasingly common in our waters.
