Nature Trust is appealing for more volunteers following the discovery of a loggerhead turtle nest containing dead hatchlings last night.

The turtle nest was brought to the attention of Nature Trust and the Environment and Resources Authority following reports that children had discovered it while playing at Fajtata Bay.

“Unfortunately, the nest discovered contained recently-dead hatchlings. The nest was just on the central area of the beach and so must have been unknowingly heavily trampled by beach-users all summer,” Nature Trust said in a statement.

While the cause of death is yet to be determined, Nature Trust noted that the nest wasn’t able to receive adequate protection due to it going under the radar and appealed for more volunteers to help avoid such incidents in the future.

“This is a sad incident where an unknown nest could not be given adequate protection to increase the chances of a successful hatching on Malta’s busy beaches,” it said.

“NTM will include the Fajtata beach in its pre-nest season patrols in the future since no one this year had noted a turtle nesting. And for this reason, we will appeal for more volunteers to help next May.”

On the bright side, Malta has had a number of loggerhead turtles nesting on its beaches this summer with several nests in Għadira, Golden Bay and Gozo’s Ramla Bay.

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