Seven loggerhead turtles born in Benidorm last summer to return to the sea this Thursday

Seven loggerhead sea turtles born in Benidorm last summer will be released into the sea this Thursday, 22 October, after completing their rearing period at l'Oceanogràfic's facilities in Valencia. The release will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Poniente Beach, opposite number 34 San Pedro Street, in front of the Hotel Marconi, as Councillor for the Environment Mónica Gómez announced today.

Gómez recalled that the turtles hatched on the night of 7 August 2025 on Levante Beach, “to the surprise of tourists and passers-by who happened to be on the seafront promenade at the time”. Of the dozens of hatchlings that emerged that night, 30 were released a few hours later at Ti Ximo Cove, while seven were transferred to l’Oceanogràfic, where they have remained until now. All of them will enter the sea in the same place where they were born: Benidorm.

The councillor explained that “these turtles are being released into the sea once l’Oceanogràfic’s technical team has confirmed that they have reached a sufficient size and strength to thrive in their natural environment and are therefore ready to survive in their habitat”.

Noting that “over the past two years, Benidorm’s beaches have been chosen by loggerhead sea turtles as nesting sites, confirming the quality of our sandy beaches”, Gómez explained that the release “has been designed as an educational activity focusing on the biodiversity of our coastline and the Mediterranean Sea”.

Third-grade pupils from the Ausiàs March and El Murtal public primary schools, as well as the subsidised private school Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, are expected to take part in the event, alongside staff from the Serra Gelada Natural Park.

Finally, the councillor invited members of the public who wish to attend to “come down to Poniente Beach this Thursday and witness this unique moment as the turtles make their way into the sea and begin a new life in their natural habitat”.