The nesting season for sea turtles has begun along the Italian coasts. The first Italian nest was discovered on the island of Sicily on May 23rd, when a strange trace appeared on the beach of Morghella in Pachino, province of Syracuse. A marine biologist visited the site and confirmed the presence of the eggs, as well as the nature of the nest and its stage of development. Another piece of good news arrived after a few hours, this time from Marina di Modica. During the night, the mother turtle was seen emerging and walking up the beach, prompting the volunteers to secure the nest. This summer, thanks to the WWF volunteer network active in Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata, and Puglia, beaches will be monitored and nests will be kept under control. Italian territorial waters welcome three species of sea turtles, the green turtle (Chelonia mydas), the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), which has been reported sporadically, and the loggerhead turtle (turtle Caretta), which has a larger population. All three are especially protected species because they are on the verge of extinction.
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