Turtle camp returns as 230 volunteers guard Dénia’s tiny summer arrivals

Dénia’s beaches have become one of the most important nesting sites for loggerhead sea turtles in the Valencian Community, and this summer hundreds of volunteers are stepping forward to help protect the next generation.

The town has officially launched its annual Campamento Tortuga (Turtle Camp), where 230 volunteers will take turns guarding four loggerhead turtle nests on Les Albaranes beach until the hatchlings emerge later this month. The conservation initiative, led by Dénia Town Hall alongside environmental organisations and researchers, aims to ensure the vulnerable nests remain safe day and night.

Four nests from two familiar turtles

This year’s nesting season has already been remarkable. Two of the nests belong to Diana, a loggerhead turtle that has returned to Dénia to lay eggs in consecutive years, while the other two were laid by another tracked female known as Mona.

Until a fifth nest was recently discovered in El Campello, Dénia’s four nests were the only confirmed loggerhead nests recorded across the Valencian Community this summer. Experts estimate the first hatchlings could begin emerging by the end of this week or early next week, making August one of the busiest periods for the conservation team.

Volunteers keeping watch day and night

The volunteers will work in afternoon and overnight shifts, monitoring the protected nesting area for any signs of hatching while ensuring the eggs remain undisturbed.

To support those giving up their time, organisers provide food and drinks during shifts, while evening educational workshops have also become part of the experience, helping volunteers learn more about marine conservation while keeping spirits high during the long night watches.

Local officials have praised the overwhelming public response, describing the volunteers as the heart of the project and highlighting the growing community commitment to protecting marine wildlife.

Dénia leading turtle conservation

The project is supported by conservation association Eucrante, the University of Valencia and regional environmental authorities, who work together to monitor the turtles, study their behaviour and coordinate volunteers.

The town has also developed an international partnership with Costa Rica’s Parque Natural Tortuguero, allowing experts to exchange knowledge on nesting behaviour, volunteer management and conservation techniques. That collaboration has helped improve predictions of when turtles are most likely to come ashore, including links between nesting activity and lunar cycles.

Since 2023, conservation teams have recorded 14 loggerhead turtle nests in Dénia, more than anywhere else in the region. Scientists believe the town’s beaches are becoming an increasingly attractive nesting destination as the species gradually expands its breeding range in the western Mediterranean, making local conservation efforts more important than ever.