First Caretta caretta hatchlings emerge on Palma's city beach

Early morning on the beach: the first turtles are here

On September 7, 2025, people with flashlights and thermos flasks stood on the sand of Palma's city beach, waiting. Not a normal beach stroll – but shift work for marine protection. In the early morning hours, the first sea turtles of the species Caretta caretta hatched. So far, 62 hatchlings have been counted.

Vigilance paid off

Since mid-July volunteers have been at the nest around the clock, bringing shovels, notebooks and lots of patience. They took turns in two-person teams; at night it was sometimes chilly, and at 3:30 a.m. there was coffee from thermoses and cookies, says one of the helpers who wishes to remain anonymous. Without this dedication the chance of releasing the animals into the water unimpeded would have been much smaller.

The hatchlings were immediately carefully recovered and placed in transport boxes with damp sand to the Institute of Marine Research in Port d'Andratx. There they are now examined, fed and looked after. The goal: to strengthen the little turtles enough that they can be released back into the Mediterranean in about a year – with better survival chances than right after hatching.

Why this care is important

Many of us know the images: small shells at dawn, nervous seagulls, children looking on in awe. But the journey from the nest to open water is dangerous. Beach lighting, predators, temperature stress – all this reduces the survival rate. At the protection station, biologists work with an experienced caregiver to ensure that the young turtles not only survive but grow up as healthy as possible.

Anyone walking by the city beach recently experienced a mix of excitement and routine: barrier tapes, a few beach chairs, two older men who habitually drink their espresso at 6 a.m. and comment, and in between the soft beeping of measuring devices. It is these small everyday scenes that show conservation is not one big spectacle but many small steps.

In the coming weeks, patient observation is in order. Volunteers and staff at the research station hope more hatchlings will emerge. And if you are walking on the beach now: please keep your distance, dim the flashlights and keep dogs on a leash. Every moment of quiet helps the last little ones find their way to the sea.