August 2023: Galenzana Caretta caretta turtle nest

In the summer of 2023, the beach of Galenzana recorded the birth of a record number of sea turtles. This past summer season has witnessed up to six different nests in six different beaches on the Island.

The nest, laid between the 14th and 15th of June, saw the first baby turtles coming to the surface on August 5th and then heading for the open water. In the course of the nights to follow, other baby turtles were born so it became clear from the start that mother Fiorella's nest was going to be very prolific.

On August 17th, watched over by experts and volunteers, the nest was uncovered and a total of 127 eggs were counted. Out of them all, 104 baby turtles were able to hatch from their eggs so the birth rate was an 83% success.

This data is very useful to the Tarta Nest LIFE European project, run in collaboration both with Legambiente, ARPAT and also the universities of Pisa and Siena.