A new Nursery Turtle Marina Caretta Caretta was discovered on Tuesday 1 July on the beach of Le Castella (Crotone), located in the Marine Protected Area of Capo Rizzuto.
The report came from WWF Crotone Thanks to the teacher and volunteer WWF Liliana Gentile, who has identified footprints on the sand attributable to a possible egg deposition. After the first inspection, conducted by the naturalist Gessica Panetta, the president of WWF Paolo Asteriti and Andrea Segreto confirmed the presence of the nest. WWF Crotone expressed great satisfaction with the growing attention of the community of Isola Capo Rizzuto towards the protection of marine turtles, underlining that local beaches represent an increasingly important site for the nesting of the Caretta Caretta. Now the hatching is expected, scheduled in about fifty days, when the small sea turtles reach the sea. After consulting the province of Crotone and the municipality of Isola Capo Rizzuto, the WWF has decided that the hatching of the eggs will be public with due precautions. Just a few days ago, during the press conference for the assignment of the Blue Flag to the Municipality of Isola Capo Rizzuto, the WWF had underlined how this area is now a habitual choice for the nesting of the Caretta Caretta sea turtles.
In recent years, the beaches of Crotone have recorded at least a dozen nests of Caretta Caretta, a clear sign of the growing importance of this territory for the conservation of this marine species. The first nest of the summer 2025 was ascertained on June 18 in the Spree of Cutro, where a specimen of Caretta Caretta was even filmed as it laid eggs from two swimmers who immediately alerted the master and WWF Crotone. In 2024, the nesting in Calabria increased by 30% compared to the previous year, with numerous discharged events, such as those recorded on the beaches of Le Cinella and Strongoli Marina. These data highlight the importance of the conservation of the Crotone beaches as a natural habitat for Caretta Caretta sea turtles, confirming the active role of the community and institutions in the protection of these vulnerable species.