On Wednesday, Tarifa’s Los Llanes beach released “Luz Bella”, a 30-year-old female loggerhead turtle who has spent the past three months at Cegma de Algeciras recovering from multiple injuries.
According to Cegma officials, “Luz Bella” was found by trap fishermen about three months ago in a very bad condition. The hind legs were partially amputated, and the shell was affected, changing its buoyancy. During his recovery, he also had to overcome conjunctivitis. But thanks to Chegma’s care, his release has become a reality today.
At 10:00 a.m., several authorities attended a turtle release at the Dement Beach Bar. Among them were Jose Antonio Santos, the mayor of Tarifa; and Mercedes Colombo, a representative of the Andalusian military government in the province of Cádiz. Also present were Cegma technicians and the fisherman who recovered the samples.
Colombo told media that 14 loggerhead sea turtles have returned to sea so far this year, and highlighted the work of trapper fishermen who have specific protocols in place to recover the turtles and transport them to Chegma.
It was the tuna fishermen who traditionally christened the animal Luz Bella, in honor of the patron saint of Tarifa and Lepe.