Marine turtles are a group of large, air-breathing reptiles that spend most of their lives in the ocean. They belong to the family Cheloniidae and the genus Dermochelyidae, and there are seven species of these reptiles found in oceans all over the world, except for the polar regions.
These animals are easily recognizable due to their distinctive shells, which consist of a hard upper shell, known as the carapace, and a lower shell called the plastron.
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain.
Colomera, the female loggerhead sea turtle that spent some time recuperating in the ARCA del Mar aquarium after being rescued by Stranding Network (the University of Valencia and the Oceanogràfic Foundation seems to be on his way home again.
Loggerhead sea turtle with satelite tracker
The turtle was released at the beach of Bellver de Oropesa (Valencia) on June 25 2020 with a satellite tracking emitter attached and after passing the Columbretes Islands she continued her journey to the Balearic Islands. After spending a few weeks exploring the coasts of Palma de Mallorca in mid-July she was in already the Sicilian Channel between the coasts of Tunisia and Sicily. Her route then continued towards Greece, specifically towards the Gulf of Ciparisia, on the western coast of the Peloponnese peninsula, near the Ionian Sea, where she remained for six months.
Colomera now seems to be heading back towards the Sicilian Channel and the last location is in the area of the island of Malta.
Is she on her way home to Spain? Time will tell.
The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) in carapace length when fully grown. The adult loggerhead sea turtle weighs approximately 135 kg (298 lb), with the largest specimens weighing in at more than 450 kg (1,000 lb). The skin ranges from yellow to brown in color, and the shell is typically reddish brown. No external differences in sex are seen until the turtle becomes an adult, the most obvious difference being the adult males have thicker tails and shorter plastrons (lower shells) than the females. More on wikipedia
The Oceanogràfic Foundation in Valencia is the largest aquarium in Europe and are involved in many marine conservation activities. If you are in the area its well worth a visit.
Satellite follow-up of marine turtles
Thanks to the latest technology in following up wild fauna via satellite, we are able to know the survival rates. adaptation, use of habitat and the dynamics of marine turtles’ movements at the end of their recovery process at the Oceanogràfic or of those from other conservation projects, such as “head-starting” or breeding in captivity. All this information allows us to assess their recovery success and the feasibility of the specimens bred in the Sea Ark, and also generates very important information about the marine environment to manage and protect these species.
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain.
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