The early hours of the morning brought a nice surprise to Gozo’s Ramla l-Ħamra beach – and it came with flippers!

At around 2 AM, volunteers patrolling the beach noticed a turtle emerging from the sea just in front of the current nest area. They immediately alerted Nature Trust coordinators, who, together with officials from ERA (Environment & Resources Authority), rushed to the site to monitor the turtle’s behaviour.

After exploring her surroundings carefully, the turtle selected a spot she liked and began the nesting process. Once she had finished and was making her way back to the water, officials scanned her for a microchip, and discovered it was none other than Johanna, the now well-known loggerhead turtle who’s been busy this season!

This marks Johanna’s third nest this year and the fifth confirmed nest overall for the season on Maltese beaches. The nest has now entered its incubation period and will be closely monitored by Nature Trust’s coordinators and volunteers over the coming weeks.

The presence of Johanna and her repeated nesting has brought excitement and hope to local conservation efforts. Her consistency is a testament to the importance of protected spaces and the hard work of volunteers and environmental authorities.

If you happen to spot a turtle or suspect a nest while at the beach, you’re urged to call ERA on 2292 3500 or Nature Trust on 9999 9505 immediately. And if you'd like to get involved in this noble conservation work, you can volunteer by sending an email to Nature Trust Malta at [email protected].

Have you come across any of the five turtle nests this season?