Turtle Released in Formentera

Months of recovery

Formentera, May 25, 2025

Oren, a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) that was rescued just over a month ago in the port of Sant Antoni in Ibiza, has been returned to the sea after completing her recovery. The release took place on May 22 on Llevant beach, in Formentera, during an event attended by technicians and representatives from the Consell Insular, the Palma Aquàrium Foundation, and Cofib.

The turtle was found on March 31, 2025, by Orencia, who spotted her floating in the water in apparently poor condition. Her quick call to 112 activated the rescue protocol.

The Consell reported that “this turtle is the eleventh rescued this year,” and that it was the citizen herself who named her Oren.

Following the alert, the Palma Aquàrium Foundation was notified of the discovery, and Cofib in Ibiza was responsible for collecting the turtle and transporting her to a veterinary clinic to begin recovery treatment.

The problem of marine pollution

Later, a specialized team transferred Oren to the Recovery Center at Palma Aquàrium, in Mallorca. There, veterinarians confirmed that the animal was suffering from positive buoyancy, caused by air trapped in her body. Additionally, she had remains of polystyrene and other plastic materials in her digestive system.

During her time at the center, Oren was treated until she was able to expel all the waste and her health stabilized. She was eventually given medical clearance, which allowed her release to be planned in a safe and suitable environment.

Oren’s recovery has been made possible thanks to the Ocemib project, which works to conserve threatened marine species in the Balearics, including turtles, cetaceans, and sharks. The project is supported by the Fundación Biodiversidad of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and funded by the European Union under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR). The service is managed by Cofib.

An ongoing challenge: nesting in Formenteraa

In addition to rescues, Formentera has in recent years witnessed several attempts at nesting by sea turtles. From late May to early August, the beaches of the western Mediterranean receive some female Caretta caretta turtles looking for suitable places to lay their eggs. Although this phenomenon is becoming more common, a viable nest has yet to be successfully recorded in Formentera.

One of the most significant cases occurred on June 20, 2021, in the Ca Marí area, when a turtle was seen at night preparing a nest in an advanced stage of the process. However, a tourist who turned on their phone’s flashlight to record the moment caused the animal to abandon the site before laying her eggs.

Since then, new nesting attempts have been identified each summer on different beaches of the island, though none have been successful. Nevertheless, both institutions and the local community continue working to create the right conditions for a safe nesting.