Dead turtle hatchlings found at Fajtata Bay in Marsascala

Nature Trust Malta and the Environment and Resource Authority have appealed for more volunteers following the discovery of dead turtle hatchlings at Fajtata Bay.

In a Facebook post on Friday morning, Nature Trust said that it and ERA were alerted by Red Cross that children playing in the sand discovered a previously unknown Loggerhead Turtle nest.

“Unfortunately, the nest discovered contained recently-dead hatchlings. The nest was just on the central area of the beach and so must have been unknowingly heavily trampled by beach-users all summer,” ERA said.

The nest was dug up by ERA and Nature Trust Officials in the presence of vet Dr Grupetta.

Only one very weak hatchling was found alive but died minutes later.

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The nest will now be investigated to determine the cause of death and for the collection of DNA samples.

“This is a sad incident where an unknown nest could not be given adequate protection to increase the chances of a successful hatching on Malta’s busy beaches,” the environmental NGO said.

Nature Trust will now be including Fajtata beach in its pre-nest season patrols in the future.

“And for this reason, we will appeal for more volunteers to help next May,” it appealed.

The Fajatat Bay nest becomes the fifth known turtle nesting of the year, after two previous recordings on Ghadira Bay, one on Golden Bay and one in Gozo’s Ramla Bay.

Turtles from one of Ghadira Bay’s nests and Gozo’s Ramla Bay have hatched successfully. 

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