71 Loggerhead turtles have hatched from the 98 eggs laid at the Ramla Bay nest in Gozo, 17 failed to hatch and 10 were not fertilised.
This was confirmed following the excavation of the nest on Tuesday in the presence of Nature Trust – FEE Malta and ERA – Environment & Resources Authority officials, in order to assess the hatch rate of the nest.
The turtles started to hatch [1] from what was an unreported nest late last Friday night and through till early Saturday morning, with more hatching over the following nights. The hatchlings were discovered by members of the public.
The Nature Trust – FEE Malta Wildlife Rescue Team thanked the members of the public who notified them of the surprise hatching, “our lovely volunteers for stepping up to monitor the area immediately, and ERA officials who immediately came on site to help secure the area.”
The NGO also appealed to the public to please keep an eye out for signs of hatchlings, and to call them on 99999505 should they notice hatchlings on a beach, however please do not pick them up.
Photo: Ramona Mercieca