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ARCHIVED - Loggerhead turtles born in Murcia in September growing faster than those which hatched last year
41 of the baby loggerheads are being raised in captivity in San Pedro del Pinatar
The first loggerhead turtles known to have hatched on the beaches of the Costa Cálida in over 100 years have now been exploring the western Mediterranean for three months, after initially being raised in captivity for a year, and it appears that the second brood which hatched this year are making good progress as they build up their strength for their own release into their natural habitat next autumn.
Some of the turtles which hatched in 2019 are known to have swum as far as Sardinia, but the 47 which hatched in La Manga this year and another 4 which emerged from their eggs in Playa Honda are still being cared for in the “head starting” program at facilities in San Pedro del Pinatar and at the Oceangràfic in Valencia. The Imida centre in San Pedro is currently home to 41 of them, and the latest news there is that they are growing faster than their counterparts of a year ago.
All of the young turtles in care now weigh between 123 and 220 grams, whereas at the same stage last year the 11 loggerheads in San Pedro weighed in at between 85 and 107 grams. The babies are being fed three times daily on a paste containing fish, crustaceans and molluscs, and are also being given weekly vitamin and calcium supplements.
Six of the turtles released this autumn were fitted with satellite GPS location devices, and their latest known whereabouts can be followed here.