A loggerhead turtle has laid 106 eggs on the Marineta Casiana beach in Denia, in Alicante province, marking the first recorded nesting on the Valencian coast in 2026. The turtle, named Diana, is the same animal that nested in the area in 2023 and 2025.

The nest was discovered in the early hours of Monday after the manager of Marina el Portet spotted the turtle and alerted the regional stranding network. Local council staff secured the area, and authorities decided to intervene because the nest was very close to the shoreline and at risk of flooding.

Under a protocol led by the Generalitat Valenciana’s Environment Department, 96 eggs were carefully relocated to the safer Los Albaranes beach in Denia. A further ten eggs were transferred by the Oceanogràfic Foundation to controlled incubators to maximise their chances of survival.

During the operation, researchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia fitted Diana with a satellite transmitter. Conservationists say the device will help experts track her marine routes and identify potential future nesting sites. The NGO Xaloc Mar has reminded the public to contact emergency services if they encounter a turtle or signs of nesting on the beach.