New Caretta caretta nest among the beds in Campania

The eggs were laid on the night of June 30 at Magic Bagni in Maiori. Collaboration between volunteers, associations, competent bodies and establishments was essential for monitoring the female

After a couple of failed attempts, it finally did it. A sea turtle nested on Sunday night on the Amalfi Coast, on a very popular beach in Maiori. A few days earlier it had tried on another beach not far away. After the sighting was reported, monitoring by the regional coordination that controls the nests of Caretta caretta throughout Campania. A network of institutions and associations formed thanks to the project Caretta In Sight, coordinated by the A.Dohrn Zoological Station, and the Life TurtleNest project, coordinated by Legambiente. They immediately intervenedPunta Campanella Marine Protected Area, Enpa Costa d’Amalfi and the local association Acarbio. The area was guarded until, Sunday around 1amthe turtle went back up to the Magic Bagni beach and was followed at a distance. The institutions and volunteers present tried to make space, moving sunbeds and umbrellas in order to create an obstacle-free passage for the turtle. The Caretta caretta it has thus found the conditions to lay its eggs, between 80 and 100. A success for the regional coordination that monitors the nests: 32 have already been identified this summer in Campania. The nest has been fenced off and made safe. It will be monitored until hatching, expected in about 50 days.

The case of Maiori demonstrates how this exists need for great attention and collaboration on the shoreseven the most frequented ones. Nestings are increasing and are pushing ever further north, due to the warming of the Mediterranean.
“Watch out for tracks on the sand that may indicate the presence of a nest – the recommendations of the Campania regional coordination Caretta in Vista – In case of sighting, stay at least 10 meters away, do not stand in front of the turtle’s field of vision, stay behind in a supine position without using lights and making noise. Contact the Port Authority at 1530 and absolutely do not try to approach the nest but rather make sure it is protected until the experts arrive”.