Marina di Massa: the turtles are back
Caretta caretta in Tuscany: why turtles are suddenly nesting in Marina di Massa, what volunteers are doing – and how beachgoers can help protect a small natural wonder.
A picture-perfect discovery
Marina di Massa – A small miracle is currently unfolding on the Tuscan coast: amid sun loungers and beach volleyball nets, nature is making a comeback. Turtles, which for decades built their nests further south, have now rediscovered Marina di Massa. And it’s not just cute – it’s spectacular.
A symbolic return
The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is an old guest in the Mediterranean, but not a common one in Tuscany. It used to nest further south, in Sicily, Greece and Turkey. But now its habitat is shifting. The reason: the waters of the Mediterranean are getting warmer – sometimes a welcome side effect of climate change for animals that like tropical conditions.
The turtle mothers dig a hollow about 40 centimetres deep with their hind flippers, lay their eggs in it and disappear back into the surf. Weeks later, the real spectacle begins: tiny baby turtles hatch and make their way to the sea. It is a race for survival – past seagulls, crabs and gawking holidaymakers.
What is an indicator of profound change for researchers becomes an attraction for holidaymakers – and a mission for environmentalists.
Volunteering at the limit
To ensure that the spectacle can take place at all, round-the-clock commitment is required. Volunteers patrol the beaches, mark potential nests, set up barriers and document every detail. The WWF works closely with the University of Pisa, ARPAT (environmental authority) and the coast guard.
‘Without the helpers, there would not be a single successful brood here,’ says a spokesperson for the project. Several nests have now been discovered on the coast around Marina di Massa – a record for the region.
What holidaymakers can do
Protection begins with consideration. Anyone on the beach in the evening should avoid bright lights. No fireworks, no torches. Even parasols and sun loungers left on the sand overnight can be a problem – they may block the path of a young turtle.
Better: keep your distance, observe, marvel – and leave the beach to the turtles.
Small armoured animals, big hope
The fact that turtles are nesting again in Marina di Massa is more than just a nice side effect of climate change. It is a glimmer of hope. A sign that nature returns when you let it. And proof that collective efforts – by volunteers, researchers and locals – are having an effect.
Perhaps there will soon be a new title for the Versilia coast: Riviera of the Turtles. And that would be a story you’d want to tell your grandchildren – preferably barefoot in the sand. And while the tourists drink their Aperol, little miracle creatures crawl towards the sunset in the shade of the deckchairs.
