The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, through the Directorate-General for Natural Environment and Forest Management, has announced the birth of new loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchlings in the Balearic Islands.
The turtles come from the nest located on August 7 on Es Cavallet Beach, within the Ses Salines Natural Park of Ibiza and Formentera. This clutch, containing 85 eggs, was the first confirmed nest of the summer in Ibiza and the second in the archipelago, following the one discovered in July on Can Pere Antoni Beach in Mallorca.
In accordance with conservation protocols aimed at maximising hatching success, all eggs were transferred to Aula del Mar in Palma for artificial incubation. After nearly two months, hatching began on September 23, resulting in 38 hatchlings.
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38 Loggerhead Sea Turtle Hatchlings Born from the Second Nest of the Season in the Balearic Islands
The newborn turtles were transferred to the Marine Research and Aquaculture Laboratory (IRFAP-LIMIA) in Port d’Andratx, where the Consortium for the Recovery of Wildlife of the Balearic Islands (COFIB) is conducting identification, biometric measurements, and health assessments. They will now take part in a head-starting program, in which the hatchlings are kept for 10 to 12 months in controlled conditions to increase their chances of survival before being released into the sea.
The regional authorities highlighted the work of the COFIB technical team and the collaboration of various institutions, including the Sant Josep de sa Talaia Town Council, the Ses Salines Natural Park of Ibiza and Formentera, the Environmental Agents, the MarSave lifeguard service, and the concessionary company IBIFOR. They also acknowledged the support of the Palma City Council, which provided the Aula del Mar facilities for incubation.
Citizens are reminded that, in the event of any signs of nesting—such as tracks in the sand, a female laying eggs, or hatchlings on the beach—it is essential to immediately contact the 112 emergency number to activate the protection protocol.
So far in 2025, two loggerhead turtle nests have been confirmed in the Balearic Islands. In addition to the Es Cavallet nest, another was found in July on Can Pere Antoni Beach in Palma, where 62 hatchlings were successfully born.
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is classified as a vulnerable species, and nesting events are becoming increasingly common along the Balearic coasts. The first documented case in the archipelago occurred in 2019 on d’en Bossa Beach (Ibiza). The appearance of new nests this year confirms an upward trend and underscores the importance of institutional cooperation in protecting this threatened species.