The turtles Gloria and Paloma return to the Mediterranean in Torremolinos

Delayed from the scheduled time, just after twelve noon, two loggerhead turtles, named Paloma and Gloria, have returned to open waters, their natural habitat, after being under the care of the Andalusian Government. This effort was made possible through the Center for Marine Environment Management and two specialized companies, Selwo Marina in Benalmádena, and Seashore in Tarifa.

The arrival and release of the turtles caused quite a stir at Playamar, the chosen spot in Torremolinos for the reintroduction, with beach bars and beaches quite crowded.

Gloria was the first to be carried to the Mediterranean, lifted from her box, where she was kept hydrated, by the mayor, Margarita del Cid, and the delegate of Environment and Sustainability, José Antonio Vízquez. The animal was hesitant, the contact with the sand did not encourage her, and it was not until the third attempt, with the help of her veterinarian, Martan Román, that she began to swim.

The 'caretta' had spent months receiving treatments after being found near the fishing port of La Atunara, in La Línea, with a buoyancy problem, fatal for her survival as it prevented her from feeding.

Although the causes of this condition are not clear, Román, who has been with her day and night, suspects it might be the result of some "incident with humans".

Despite Gloria's uncertainty, Paloma's plunge into the sea, who was saved from an almost certain death after being found in poor condition in Palomares, Almería, was quick. The turtle, which has gained four kilograms, mostly muscle mass, thanks to the care from the team at Selwo Marina, as explained by its director, Alberto Martín, returned home like a torpedo, still flapping on land to warm up.

This milestone, as it is the first time that the Torremolinos coast has been the scene of such an action, with the bathers at Costa Lago beach as delighted witnesses, marks the end of months of "vicissitudes" for the two turtles, as Vízquez recalled. The delegate expressed his hope that "there will be no more releases after the recovery from damages as a consequence of human action" and highlighted issues such as throwing plastics into the seas, as these can be ingested by the fauna that inhabits it.

The mayor, for her part, thanked everyone who made the turtles' salvation possible, hoping that Paloma and Gloria "do not leave their environment again and have a long and happy life."