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A dead leatherback turtle, measuring around two metres across, has been discovered in the waters off La Línea’s eastern coast. Municipal beach workers reported the find in the Torrenueva area before removing the animal from the water using mechanical equipment.

 

The local Beaches Department, overseen by Councillor Rafael León, confirmed that the incident was immediately passed on to the Algeciras-based Centre for the Sustainable Management of the Andalusian Marine Environment, better known as CEGMA. The centre has since taken charge of collecting samples to help determine what led to the turtle’s death.

 

Leatherback turtles are the world’s largest sea turtles and sightings in the Mediterranean are rare. According to La Línea’s City Council, “the presence of this type of species in the Mediterranean is sporadic.” These turtles normally originate from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, occasionally entering the region through the Strait of Gibraltar or via the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. Highly migratory by nature, they are known to travel thousands of kilometres across open waters.

 

CEGMA, which has developed a strong reputation for its work in the recovery of sea turtles and the study of causes behind marine mammal deaths, will now conduct the necessary investigations. The centre has become a national benchmark in marine wildlife care since its founding in 2009.

 

Figures from the Andalusian regional government’s Ministry of Sustainability and Environment show that so far this year, 19 turtles have been treated at the facility. In total, 334 turtles have passed through CEGMA’s hands since it first opened, with an impressive recovery success rate of more than 75 percent.

 

While the cause of death of the La Línea turtle remains unknown, specialists hope the samples will offer more insight into the challenges faced by these ocean wanderers as they navigate increasingly busy waters.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de La Línea de la Concepción