The first sea turtles of the year in Dénia are about to break their shells. The 'Turtle Camp', an environmental initiative promoted by the city council with the collaboration of entities like Eucrante, keeps over 200 volunteers on edge as they take turns monitoring the nests of turtles Diana and Mona, who have nested on the city's beaches this summer.
The camp, located on Les Albaranes beach, houses the four grouped nests: two from Diana, a regular visitor to Dénia's beaches, and two from Mona, who has also taken a liking to this coastline. These four nests were the only ones in the Valencian Community until a few weeks ago, when a fifth was found in El Campello.
According to Blanca Feliu from the Eucrante association, a total of 396 eggs will be guarded, with 20 transferred to the Oceanogràfic. Feliu expressed satisfaction with the nest locations, deeming them conducive to ensuring successful hatching.
The first hatching is anticipated for the end of this week or early next, heralding an August "full of activity" in this regard. The presence of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) on Dénia's beaches is significant, making it the municipality with the most nests in the Valencian Community. The success of the nesting and hatching largely depends on volunteer efforts.
The Councilor for Ecological Transition, Sandra Gertrúdix, highlighted the importance of volunteering, calling this year's call a "success" with 230 registered individuals. The council provides food and drink to the volunteers and organizes night workshops to make the monitoring hours more bearable.
Gertrúdix also thanked the association Eucrante, a "fundamental piece" in coordinating night volunteers and locating turtles, as well as the involvement of the University of Valencia and the Marine and Fisheries Environmental Service of the Department of Environment.
The councilor recalled the work of the Turtle Alliance, signed with the Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica), which has enabled Dénia to improve volunteer management and better understand nesting days through the lunar cycle.
The mayor of Dénia, Rafa Carrió, emphasized the crucial role of volunteers in ensuring the care of the nests, comparing witnessing the hatching to an event "as historic" as the solar eclipse on August 12th. He noted that since 2023, 14 turtle nests have been located in Dénia, an "exceptional" figure not seen elsewhere.
