a turtle egg laying on the island of Porquerolles, an extremely rare phenomenon

A turtle’s nest with eggs was discovered on the morning of Saturday July 16 by agents of the beach cleaning company on the island of Porquerolles (Var), reports France Bleu Provence. The French Mediterranean Sea Turtle Network (RTMMF) confirmed that it was a Loggerhead turtle, a protected species found in the Mediterranean. The Port-Cros and Porquerolles National Park specifies on social networks that it is a “rare event”.

A protective perimeter in place

A municipal decree was taken by the town hall of Hyères to prohibit the public from the portion of the beach concerned by the turtle until the eggs hatch. “A protection perimeter of 25 square meters” have been established. It takes about 55 days of incubation to see the turtles born. Information panels have been posted on the site and awareness panels on the event and the sea turtles will be added soon, indicate the city of Hyères and the various organizations concerned in a press release.

The town hall also has “provided equipment for securing the nest”, indicates the Marineland Association, whose employee, Marine Turtle project manager, was contacted on site. According to her, the agents of the Port-Cros National Park will ensure the regular surveillance of the place of laying day and night, with the support of the municipal police of Hyères and the departmental services of the French Office for Biodiversity.

Only one to two clutches of this species are recorded each year, specifies France Bleu Provence. The Loggerhead turtle reproduces every 2 to 4 years. Adults measure between 90 centimeters and 1 meter, and weigh about 135 kg. This summer, two other loggerhead turtle nests were discovered on the French coast, in Marseillan (Hérault) on the evening of July 9, and in Villeneuve-Loubet on July 5, a first in the Alpes-Maritimes.