A two-meter leatherback turtle was found dead in La LĂ­nea.

  • A two-meter-long leatherback turtle has been removed from the Torrenueva area (La LĂ­nea).
  • The Algeciras Cegma is collecting samples to determine the cause of death.
  • Migratory species with sporadic presence in the Mediterranean, originating from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
  • Cegma: 19 turtles treated in 2025 and 334 since 2009, with more than 75% success rate.
Isaac

3 minutes

dead leatherback turtle on the shore

The body of a woman has been found on the eastern coast of La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz). leatherback sea turtle about two meters long, stranded in the area of Torrenueva, an episode similar to discovery of a stranded leatherback turtle In Santa Comba (Ferrol). Municipal workers from the Beaches Department responded to the scene and removed the animal from the shore to avoid hazards and crowding.

After the warning, the action was brought to the attention of the Center for Sustainable Management of the Andalusian Marine Environment (CEGMA) in Algeciras, whose technicians have taken charge of collecting samples with the aim of clarify the origin of death.

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Related article:
The birth of the leatherback turtle and the importance of its conservation

Intervention on the beach and removal of the specimen

leatherback turtle found dead on beach

The operation was carried out in a coordinated manner and with machinery support to move the animal, given the wingspan and volume which was presented. A security perimeter was established to facilitate the work of the workers and not interfere with beach users.

The body appeared stranded by the shore and was removed following municipal protocols for this type of incident on the coast. The area was cleaned after the intervention to avoid unpleasant odors and potential nuisances.

The City Council emphasizes that the specimen had a notable appearance -about two meters between fins—, a size compatible with adult individuals of this oceanic species.

Analysis, origin and presence in the Mediterranean

dead large leatherback turtle

Cegma assumes the transfer and the taking biological samples, a step prior to a possible autopsy This will determine whether the case is related to fishery interaction, collision, waste ingestion, or natural causes. The results will be known once the laboratory analysis is completed.

The leatherback turtle is the largest sea turtle in the world and its occasional presence in the Mediterranean It is documented, with cases of sighting in TenerifeThese animals come from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and can enter these waters by the Strait of Gibraltar or from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.

It is a species highly migratory, able to travel thousands of kilometers in search of food, mainly jellyfish, which explains why their sighting on the Andalusian coast is rare but possible. These migrations are also affected by the climate change and sea turtles.

The Andalusian center involved in this case is a national reference in the care of sea turtles and in the study of marine mammal mortality. According to data from the Board, so far in 2025, 19 copies, which are added to the 334 that have passed through its facilities since 2009, with a recovery rate that exceeds 75%.

These figures demonstrate a solid response capacity to strandings and rescues, with protocols that shorten intervention times and promote the conservation of vulnerable species on the coast.

The discovery in Torrenueva puts the focus on the rarity of these appearances and in the coordination between municipal services and the Cegma (National Commission for the Conservation of Marine Animals) to clarify what happened and strengthen the protection of a key ocean species, whose visit to our coasts remains as valuable as it is exceptional.