To much excitement, another turtle nest was found last night, this time at Gnejna Bay. A member of the public spotted a turtle crawling up the beach, and immediately went to inform a volunteer dedicated to turtle protection that was in the vicinity.

The members of public present at the time were commended by the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) for respecting the usual protocol in such situations, specifically keeping a distance from the turtle, not shining lights on the area, and not making any loud noises. They were then invited to watch parts of the process through the volunteer’s night vision camera as they located the nesting chamber.

ERA officers immediately went on site and together with Nature Trust Malta, cordoned off the area to ensure that the nest is protected. They later confirmed that this turtle is the same one that laid the first nest of the season at Golden Bay on 15th June, identified by the microchip number assigned to her.

If it feels like this has been a regular occurrence recently, you’re right! This year, the islands have seen a record number of concurrent nests, with five current active nests at Golden Bay, Gnejna and Ramla l-Hamra in Gozo.

Have you come across any of these protected turtle nests?