The Legambiente Ricadi Circle has identified and secured a sea turtle nest (Caretta caretta) found on the beach of Formicoli in Santa Domenica di Ricadi. The discovery of the nest, within the project “Life Turtlenest” aimed at safeguarding sea turtle nests in the Western Mediterranean, represents an event of high scientific and territorial value because on the beaches of the Ricadese coast and on the immediately adjacent beaches no discovery has ever been attested for many decades.
These beautiful beaches, due to excessive human pressure, excessive land consumption and the high presence of bathers, were considered unsuitable for nesting in the collective imagination. In fact, the conditions in which the coast finds itself due to excessive human pressure and the denaturation of the places do not represent, in general, an ideal habitat for nesting. Sea turtles, after reaching reproductive age after a few decades, almost always return to their birthplace to lay their eggs, often finding the bitter surprise of a place that has been profoundly transformed. However, some of the beaches that have fallen, despite the profound transformations, continue to maintain the necessary conditions, the rest, fortunately, is due to the stubbornness of the turtles that are taking back their spacesThe tenacity of the volunteers of the Legambiente club of Ricadi did the rest.
In fact, the project has been underway for about two months now constant monitoring of the beaches also with the help of drones and an information and awareness-raising activity aimed at citizens, beach resorts and local authorities that is starting to produce the first fruits. The discovery was made thanks to the invaluable collaboration of the managers of a local beach and some reports from citizens. The nest was partially damaged because some unaware children playing and digging on the beach destroyed some eggs. After an initial safety intervention by the beach managers, the area was fenced off and monitored by volunteers from the Legambiente club until the intervention of the association staff in possession of the specific authorization in derogation. In this commitment Legambiente also collaborates with the association Caretta Calabria Conservation which has a great experience thanks to the monitoring carried out for many years along the coasts of Reggio. The nest, located close to an access platform to a very busy beach and, therefore, exposed to high risk, has been moved to a suitable place awaiting hatching.
They have been found 78 whole eggswhile some were irreparably compromised due to involuntary tampering. In recent days another turtle had attempted to nest on the beach of Santa Maria di Ricadi, but due to the disturbance caused by the excessive attention of the users of a nearby beach, despite the late hour, it returned to the sea. These episodes demonstrate the need and importance of commitment to awareness-raising activities for residents and tourists and, above all, to building a positive collaboration with the beach managers and their staff, a commitment undertaken by the Circolo Legambiente Ricadi and which, thanks to the continuity of the action of Legambiente members and volunteers, will produce concrete results.