Big news at Ramla l-Ħamra as 26 new hatchlings have emerged from their hatch! Following the fourth night after hatching, conservation teams inspected Nest 3 for 2025 at Ramla l-Ħamra, in the presence of officials from Nature Trust – FEE Malta, Nature Trust – FEE Malta Gozo Section, and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA).

The nest contained a total of 57 eggs. Out of these, 29 were not fertilised, 2 were fertilised but stopped developing, and the remaining 26 hatched successfully.

While these numbers are not as high as hoped, experts explained that lack of fertilisation is a natural occurrence. Studying these patterns helps assess the health of male turtles in local waters.

This phenomenon is being reported internationally and may be linked to either fewer male turtles in the population or males not consuming enough fatty foods to aid sperm production. For this nest, the total hatch rate was 45%, while the hatch rate for fertilised eggs reached an impressive 93%.

Local volunteers, environmental groups, and members of the public have all played a role in safeguarding the nest over the past months. Measures such as restricted access, protective barriers, and continuous monitoring were put in place to ensure the eggs remained undisturbed until hatching.

More updates are expected in the coming weeks as conservationists continue to monitor the remaining turtle nests around the Maltese Islands, offering hope for even more hatchlings to come.

Go, baby hatchlings, go!