Crista the sea turtle, of the species Caretta caretta, has been returned to the sea at Magaluf beach after three months of recovery. The specimen was rescued at Cabo de Formentor weighing 24.7 kilos and suffering from severe issues due to plastic ingestion.
Magaluf beach was the setting for Crista's release on Friday, a sea turtle of the species Caretta caretta that has undergone several months of treatment at the Marine Wildlife Recovery Centre of the Balearics, managed by the Palma Aquarium Foundation. The animal was rescued on April 20 near Cabo de Formentor, in Pollença, after a fisherman found it floating motionless and alerted 112.
A rescue that started with a call
It was fisherman Jaume Cuart, a regular collaborator with the Palma Aquarium Foundation, who located Crista in the sea. Following the protocol indicated by the stranding team, he transported the specimen to the port of Cala Rajada, where volunteers from the foundation collected it to take it to the recovery centre at Palma Aquarium.
There, veterinarians Juan Ignacio Serra and Tania Monreal began a treatment that allowed the turtle to expel the waste it had ingested: a 3-centimetre single-use bottle, plastic threads, polystyrene, and bubble wrap. Crista weighed 24.7 kilograms upon admission and, after recovery, was given veterinary discharge.
Institutional and citizen collaboration
The release event was attended by the mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, and other municipal representatives, as well as the president of the Palma Aquarium Foundation, Joan Rams, and the foundation's director, Débora Morrison. The Calvià Town Hall highlighted in a press release the importance of collaboration between administrations, specialised entities, and citizens for the conservation of marine wildlife.
For the residents of Calvià, this release is not just a symbolic gesture: it serves as a reminder that the municipality's coastline, especially the Magaluf area, is a habitat shared with protected species. Each rescue, the foundation emphasises, is an opportunity to learn and raise awareness about the impact of plastic waste in the sea.
The problem of plastics in the Balearic Sea
Crista's case is not isolated. Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are one of the species most affected by plastic ingestion in the Mediterranean. According to data from the Marine Wildlife Recovery Centre, many specimens arrive with intestinal obstructions caused by waste they confuse with food. Crista's recovery, having expelled all the waste, is a success that is not always repeated.
The Palma Aquarium Foundation reminds us that each rescue represents an opportunity to expand knowledge about these species and improve response protocols. They also insist on the importance of citizens calling 112 if they find a marine animal in distress, as Jaume Cuart did.
The turtle, named Crista by her discoverer, has returned to the sea from the same beach where so many tourists and residents enjoy the summer. Who knows if some bathers will see her swimming free again, hopefully without plastics in her stomach.
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