Lampedusa Birth Tartaruga in rabbit beach and in Guitgia beach

La tartaruga nidifica | Spiaggia della Guitgia nel 2018

Lampedusa is one of the last sites in the Mediterranean where the Caretta sea turtle reproduces and nests regularly. The first to observe the nesting as already written was Dieter Gramentz. In the bygone summer of 2002, more than one loggerhead turtle laid more than 7 nests on the rabbit beach. During the hatching period of one of these nests I had the good fortune of being able to watch this wonderful event all night long. That night from that nest more than 70 small turtles were born, which were later cared for and followed until their natural entry into the water.

Last summer (2018) overcoming all the adversities and incredibly, one of the turtles that frequents Lampedusa has even come to nest in the Guitgia beach. This event was therefore a confirmation of what the island’s elders had already told us, at the time of Gramentz’s research and that is that in all the beaches of Lampedusa the tortoise once nested regularly. The Guitgia nest was discovered for a fortuitous chance and thanks to two vacationers, Stefania whom I met and she was very kind to tell me the story and to Dario who took pictures of the turtle while he nested.

That evening Stefania and Dario were on the beach and realized that something strange was present on the beach. They approached the mysterious object and realized that it was a turtle, which was digging its nest. They warned the coast guard of Lampedusa and thus allowed the nest to be protected and the small turtles to be able to be born in tranquility at the end of the summer.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]