Caretta caretta is the most common. Satellite tracking with epoxy transmitters. 2019: first nest in the Balearic Islands. Keep 3 m distance, no flash, do not touch. Oceanogràfic Valencia citizen science. BOE 2023 conservation strategy.
Sea turtles generate special interest in the Spanish diving community. Discussions cover apps for reporting sightings, debates about the risks camera flashes may pose to their behavior, and the physiology of turtles in relation to decompression. Divers report increasingly frequent sightings in the Mediterranean, which may indicate both population recovery and changes due to warming.
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most common species in Spanish waters. Thanks to satellite tracking, researchers can trace migration routes to identify areas of greater threat. Since 2014 nesting events have increased in the Spanish Mediterranean, with the first nest in the Balearic Islands recorded in 2019. Regulations recommend maintaining at least three meters of distance, not intercepting their path, not using flash, and never touching them. Citizen science programs, such as the one run by the Oceanogràfic in Valencia, allow any diver to contribute to knowledge of their distribution.