An extraordinary discovery has been made on Poetto beach, near Marinella: a nest of Caretta caretta sea turtles has been identified.
The traces left in the sand left no doubt to the operators, who immediately activated the verification procedures required in these cases.
"We had a surprise hatching, an unregistered nest, reported by some kids who were dancing at Marinella last night. They activated the regional network protocols by calling the operations room, and all the procedures started from there," explains Elisa Mocci of the regional environmental department.
"We recovered the chicks between the dunes and the boardwalk and put them back into the sea. Using their tracks, we traced them back to the nest and dug a bit. We were surprised to see a baby whale surfacing, and that's how we figured out where the hatching occurred. Obviously, the area is now patrolled," adds Mocci.
The area was promptly cordoned off to protect the site and allow experts to monitor the situation without risking the eggs.
This is an increasingly frequent occurrence on the Sardinian coast, a positive sign of the commitment to protecting this protected species.
"The striking aspect is that the gestation period is usually around 50-55 days, even 60, but this nest, which hatched on July 25th, was evidently laid between the end of May and the beginning of June," Mocci continues, "it is the fifth nest for Sardinia. 2023 was a boom year for nests on the island, but the curious thing is that one of the five nests at Poetto was right here at Marinella. It is highly likely that it is the same individual."
The control operations are carried out by the competent bodies, in coordination with the environmental authorities and associations that deal with the protection of marine fauna.
In the meantime, swimmers and onlookers should exercise extreme caution: the area will remain closed to prevent interference that could compromise the hatching of the eggs.