Sea turtle nest found in Begur, first in Costa Brava

For the first time, authorities have found a loggerhead sea turtle nest on Sa Riera beach in the Costa Brava town of Begur. Turtles had been seen before entering and leaving the water but never nesting in this area.

This weekend, a beach bar security worker raised the alarm after seeing how the turtle was nesting.

At the spot, officials found 130 loggerhead sea turtle eggs buried in the sand, 40 of them were moved to the CRAM sea animals conservation and recovery foundation to ensure their survival.

The other eggs were buried again and protected to avoid any wrongdoing.

This is the second nest found in Catalonia this summer, after one discovered last week in southern Delta de l'Ebre. 

Until now, loggerhead sea turtles never nested in the Costa Brava, the only time that the species was seen was in 2021 after leaving the water of Platja d'Aro beach, south of Begur.

Call 112 emergency services

The Catalan government warns that turtles make their nests in summer, coinciding with the most crowded moments of Catalan beaches.

For this reason, they urge residents not to disturb nesting and call the 112 emergency services hotline. Pictures with flash are also forbidden.

Turtles start nesting in early June until late October. During mid-June and late July, mothers start the process, while baby turtles are born from early August until late October.