Over 150,000 Loggerhead Sea Turtles Released in Cape Verde During 2024 Nesting Season

More than 150,000 loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta Caretta) have been released in Cape Verde during the 2024 nesting season. Local conservation organizations Projeto Biodiversidade and BIOS Cabo Verde, with support from the Riu hotel chain, reported the successful hatchings. These organizations operate incubation centers that contribute to Cape Verde being one of the most important nesting sites in the world for this vulnerable species. On Sal Island, over 115,000 hatchlings were recorded in the entities' nurseries. Boa Vista Island saw over 34,500 hatchlings. BIOS Cabo Verde also conducted experiments in the nests to mitigate the effects of global warming, with promising results in balancing the sex ratio among the offspring, which is conditioned by temperature. Projeto Biodiversidade recorded 36,587 nests on Sal Island, with 2,225 protected in nurseries. The hatching rate reached 82.3%, resulting in 115,962 hatchlings released into the sea. Measures such as introducing shade in the nurseries have helped reduce the incubation temperature by 2°C, increasing the proportion of male turtles, a crucial step to counteract the effects of climate change.